It's A Numbers Game
by 24isover
Summary: Doyle and Nadia are going through a rough patch, but Jack's team needs their help to stop a sophisticated terrorist plot hatching in NYC. Sequel to A Slow Simmer. Jack/Kate/CM/BK. COMPLETE. New beginning for Kate. Nadia gets the TLC she deserves.
1. Left Behind

**A/N – This story takes place a few months after my other fic – A Slow Simmer. While that one was mostly how Doyle & Nadia got together, this will feature a little more of everyone. **

**This is for all those great Doyle/Nadia writers out there -- especially Tigerlily, LauraSedai and 24isBest who still have unfinished stories at the moment. Also for ShadowSakura, who never fails to give such encouraging reviews. We are all waiting for your Answers :)**

**Disclaimer: Characters are owned by 24**

Left Behind

Jack looked outside the window of his office. The view never ceased to amaze him. He could see all of lower Manhattan and parts of the Hudson River from up here. The sun had started to set, casting a reddish hue on the shimmering water. The streets below were buzzing with people darting out of office buildings in a mad rush to get home. New York and LA were so different, even in how rush hour manifested itself. In LA, it meant massive traffic jams and pileups on the freeway. In New York, it was dealing with wall to wall people who subjected themselves to getting crushed on the subway daily.

He was still conflicted about his new life. Time would only tell whether he had made the right decision. At Marilyn's insistence, he assumed the role of CEO at BXJ Technologies. There had been a management gap after both Philip and Graeme died, and Marilyn couldn't really step up to the role. The move to New York had been precipitated by the need to put as much distance between himself and his sister-in-law. She made it no secret that she wanted to pick up where they left off, but Jack still had hopes that Audrey would recover someday. In the meantime, he started building a totally different life for himself, hopefully one that she could come back to. His only regret about leaving LA was not being able to see Josh more often. He had grown fond of the boy who looked up to him as a father figure. It was nice being needed again.

His introspection was interrupted as Bill walked into his office.

"Jack, do you have a minute? I'd like to go over the quarterly financial statements with you before we meet with the auditors tomorrow."

"Sure. Red or black?" It was a private joke that he and Buchanan shared, although he was still a little nervous about the answer. The company's reputation had suffered after its involvement in the LA nuclear incident was made public. At one point, the government had rescinded all of its contracts and BXJ almost had to file for bankruptcy.

"Don't worry. We're very much in the black." Bill smiled. "We got the government contracts back after Tom Lennox intervened."

"Good, but I'm still not comfortable having ninety percent of our revenues come from the government. We really need to go in a different direction soon."

"Yes, we all agreed that security consulting is a good niche to get into, given our collective experience. Karen has a few leads lined up, but we can't really market this seriously until we have enough people to staff the projects."

"When is Doyle starting?"

"Unfortunately, he has to stay at CTU LA a few more months before his government benefits are fully vested."

Karen burst into his office before Jack got a chance to reply.

"Well, gentlemen, we just landed Solera!" she announced triumphantly. "I'm really very excited about them. As you both know, they're the market leader in automated trading." Karen pointed to a chart in the presentation she brought with her. "Just look at their volumes! They blow away their competitors in trade execution orders sent to the New York Stock Exchange."

"Congratulations, sweetheart." Bill knew how hard she worked to land this account. It was all she could talk about for days.

"That's great news, Karen." Jack smiled at her appreciatively. "Also very timely. Bill and I were just talking about our diversification plans."

"If we execute this well, it would definitely open more doors for us in the financial industry." She added.

"We'll staff that engagement with Chloe and Morris. They're the best technical people we have." Bill chimed in.

"Agreed. Let's meet with them tomorrow to discuss deliverables and timeframe."

"We're going to head out then. Good night, Jack."

"See you both tomorrow. Karen, thanks again."

Jack watched the two leave his office. He smiled as he saw Bill reach for Karen's hand when they were almost out of sight. He was glad that he was able to coax both of them out of retirement, even if it meant ceding some control of the company to them.

* * *

The petite dark-haired woman in the black pant suit listened intently to the conversation captured from one of the back channels. It was in Arabic, her native language, but it was making no sense. She wrinkled her brows in confusion and looked at the field agent sitting across from her. 

"Agent Baker, this is the third time I've listened to this, and I still can't make heads or tails out of it. It clearly indicates that something big is going to happen in the next few weeks, but the target makes no sense."

"Why not?"

"They keep mentioning the word 'shams' as the target. In English, that means the sun. I don't understand the connection."

"Do you think this chatter was put out there on purpose to confuse us?"

"It's possible. To be sure, I'd like you to deploy teams to the potential high-profile targets over the next few days. Grand Central Station and the New York Stock Exchange are on top of the list. Meanwhile, I'll ask the mayor to raise the alert level to orange."

"I'll get on it right away."

"Wait. Stay for this."

She dialed a number on the polycom.

"Marcy, have you tracked down the whereabouts of Tarik Aziz yet?

"No info yet on where he lives, but he's been sighted regularly in a coffee shop on 10th & 50th street. Apparently, he's always there between 8 and 10am on Wednesdays."

"Ok, thanks."

She looked up at Agent Baker.

"We'll have to do this next week then. I'm praying we still have enough time."

He shook his head disapprovingly, knowing fully what she intended to do.

"Are you sure you're up for this? We could always just pick him up for interrogation."

"No, we'll get more useful information this way."

"You're going to need backup."

"I think I can take care of myself."

Agent Baker just stood there and looked at her silently. He wasn't budging.

"Oh, all right, Tom." She agreed grudgingly. "Make sure it's discreet. He can smell a field agent a mile away."

After he left her office, Nadia propped up both elbows on the table and placed her hands on either temple. She was under a lot of pressure lately and felt like she was being squeezed from both ends. Her supervisors at Division were getting impatient with her inability to come up with a definite lead on this matter. In addition, she was getting little support from the people who reported to her. She knew they resented her appointment as CTU Director and were waiting on the sidelines for her to fail. Agent Baker, her head of Field Ops, seemed to be the only one she could trust. He and Nadia shared a common bond, having both worked with Jack Bauer in the past.

_I miss Mike. Why did he … _She shook her head as if that would rid her mind of thoughts about him.

* * *

She watched him from the corner of her eyes. _He's here again. Like clockwork_. For the past few months now, he had come to this bar every Thursday night, always sitting in the same stool tucked away at the end. He would order a beer and nurse it for an hour as he stared blankly at the wall. She had attempted to strike up a conversation several times, but his one word responses made it clear he wanted to be alone. 

"What can I get you today, Doyle? The usual?"

He shook his head. "A scotch on the rocks, please."

"Coming right up." _Guess he's having a bad day_. "Here you go."

He downed it in one shot and stared thoughtfully at the empty glass clasped between his hands. "Another one, please."

"Something wrong?" She said as she poured him another.

He raised his head slowly and was about to say something rude, but stopped as he saw the genuine concern on her face. He shook his head instead.

"Sometimes it's better to talk about it. Let me guess…it's a woman, isn't it?" That was a bold statement, considering he seemed the type who would have no compunction about biting her head off. His cool gaze melted a little at her sympathetic smile.

"You could say that. She's too far away." At her questioning look, he added. "She moved to New York a few months ago." _Four months and ten days to be exact_.

"That's not too far away. It's only a six hour flight. Have you visited her since?"

"I was supposed to fly over to see her two weeks after she left, but a crisis came up at work and I had to postpone. We couldn't get our schedules synced up since."

The distance was tougher on their relationship than he had anticipated. It was either a crisis in LA or one in New York. Their damned jobs just wouldn't let them be together. It seemed inevitable that they would slowly slip out of each other's lives.

It didn't help that he had a hard time expressing his feelings in words. Their phone conversations were always punctuated with periods of awkward silence. Other times, things just got lost in translation and they ended up fighting. The daily calls turned into weekly ones and then even less frequent. Their last one had not gone well at all. He had left her several messages the past few days, but she had yet to return them.

He was lost in his own thoughts until he realized that the bartender was still talking.

"Hey! Did you just tune me out?" she asked incredulously. "I said to hell with your schedules, why don't you just surprise her and show up one weekend?"

"I don't know whether that would do any good. We just broke up."

* * *

**Next Chapter: Chloe and Morris at BXJ, more on the Doyle/Nadia break up, and maybe, just maybe, someone from Jack's past reappears**

**A/N – Please leave a review. I'd love to hear your feedback for future chapters. **

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	2. Dark and Stormy

**A****/N – Thanks for the reviews on the first chapter. This second one's a tad long, but I hope it's not a difficult read.**

**Disclaimer: Characters are owned by 24**

Dark and Stormy

Chloe knocked on the door and stuck her head inside Jack's office even though he seemed to be in deep discussion with Bill and Karen.

"Excuse me, Jack, it's 3pm already. Are we having our meeting now?"

"Yes. Come in, Chloe. Oh, and please bring Morris in too." Jack called out.

The five of them took their seats around the conference table.

"Karen just landed an engagement requiring us to do an information security review. It's a growing need nowadays, especially among Wall Street firms that move millions of dollars with a single keystroke." Jack said.

"Oh, who's the client?" Morris asked.

"Solera. They're the market leader among ECN's." Jack added.

"What's an ECN?" Chloe's face mirrored her confusion.

"Are they like an online broker?" Morris asked, his ears perking up. Since moving to New York, he had started reading the Wall Street Journal and dabbled in a little day trading now and then.

"ECN stands for 'electronic communication network'. In the financial industry, these are companies that facilitate electronic trading of stocks by automatically matching orders received from buyers and sellers. A matched order is an executed trade." Jack explained. He then turned to Morris and addressed his question. "Unlike an online broker, they cater only to large institutions so the average trade size is in the millions of dollars."

"Another thing I might add, Jack, is that ECN's are big enablers of algorithmic trading. This means investment banks and hedge funds with computer models can electronically generate, send orders and receive trade executions to and from ECN systems without any human intervention. Obviously, this is the most sensitive part of their operation." Karen further clarified.

"Solera's upgrading their order matching system and have asked us to do a top down review of their security infrastructure. This includes evaluating their existing firewall architecture, coming up with contingency plans and risk scenarios, etc. Here's a copy of our presentation which outlines all our deliverables." Bill thrust a stack of papers in their direction. He and Jack had put most of it together. As Chief Operating Officer of BXJ, he was not only responsible for its day to day operations, but also for implementing its expansion into security consulting.

"How long do we have to do this?" Morris asked as he leafed through the presentation.

"We have six weeks to complete the work." Bill replied.

"I arranged a meeting between the two of you and their Chief Information Security Officer on Monday to discuss the specifics. I suggest you read up on the presentation and do some prep work beforehand. I cannot stress how important this project is to BXJ." Karen reiterated.

Chloe looked doubtfully at Morris. She was starting to feel a little worried since she was already seven months pregnant. With this new assignment, she would be cutting it really close to the baby's due date.

"Don't worry. You won't need to know much about the business. It's really more technical work than anything else, so I'm sure you'll finish up earlier. You'll be fine, Chloe." Jack reassured her.

* * *

There were no offices or cubicles at Solera; instead, the large space was laid out like a trading floor, with desks arranged in several continuous rows. There was a huge plasma TV, perpetually tuned to CNBC, hanging from the ceiling in the center of the room. 

Kate rubbed her eyes wearily and looked away from the numbers that flickered on her screen. There was a time when her life depended on watching it all day; now, all it did was give her a splitting headache. Despite that, she still followed the financial markets very closely.

"Looks like another volatile day, Todd. The Dow's down another 200 points." Kate shook her head in amazement.

Todd gave the screen a cursory look, but the market turmoil wasn't sufficient to jolt him out of his relaxed state. He continued to lean back in his chair, hands clasped behind his head, feet up on the desk. His lazy stance masked a keen mind whose wheels were forever spinning.

"Yep, blame it on the subprime crisis. Anyway, all this volatility's good for us. It's driving trading volumes through the roof! And the best part is, we don't have to care whether the market is up or down. We get paid either way." he answered.

"By the way, I forgot to tell you I hired BXJ to do the security review for us. They're meeting with Karim on Monday." At his blank look, she added "You met with their EVP of Marketing, Karen Hayes, remember?"

"Oh yes, that's right." He nodded in recognition, but a momentary frown passed through his face. "Wait a minute, wasn't BXJ involved in the nuclear bombing in Valencia a few months ago?"

"They're under new management now. The board brought in Karen Hayes and a few others to clean house."

"That was a smart move on their part. What better way to restore credibility than by hiring a former National Security Advisor on the management team. I guess we're ok then. Just make sure they don't interfere with our upgrade. I want to get our new order matching algorithms out there as soon possible."

"Of course, dear, but we don't want any security holes the first day we go live; otherwise, we'd have the regulators breathing down our necks." Kate replied, her voice conveying a little of the exasperation she felt. Her husband could be so single minded at times.

After she and Jack broke up, Kate took her MBA at her alma mater, Stanford University. Upon graduating, she was hired by a very prestigious investment bank in New York where she met her husband, Todd Douglas. Well known for his quantitative skills and tenacious personality, he headed up the very lucrative equity arbitrage trading desk and was one of the bank's rising stars. His persistence also extended to his personal life; he pursued Kate relentlessly until she agreed to marry him. Several years later, he decided that he wanted to run his own company, so he and Kate left the bank and founded Solera, with some funding from Warner International.

Although he was now CEO, Todd never really left his trader mentality behind. It was all about making money and getting what he wanted now. While it was true that Solera's success was largely due to the proprietary algorithms that he developed, the company would not have gotten off the ground without Kate's organization and management skills. As co-CEO, she took it upon herself to ensure the other aspects of the business were not neglected and that they had the appropriate controls in place to keep the regulators happy.

* * *

Doyle fastened his seatbelt as the flight attendant closed the door of the aircraft. He pulled up the scratchy wool blanket over his body and fidgeted uncomfortably in the tight seat. It was going to be difficult to get some sleep tonight, and not just because of the cramped quarters. A part of him was excited at the thought of seeing her again, but another was dreading it at the same time. They had not exactly parted in civil terms the last time they spoke. 

He closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but his mind kept playing back their last argument. It was early evening in LA, and he was in the middle of finishing up a report for McNally when Nadia called.

"Mike, I'm getting nowhere fast. We have all this chatter about something big happening but I have no leads. It doesn't help that my analysts don't seem to have any initiative at all. They expect to be spoon fed with what to do all the time."

"That's unacceptable. You should just replace them." He said dismissively.

"Then what? Have a mutiny on my hands? It's bad enough that they see me as an outsider." Nadia was mildly annoyed. She could hear him typing in the background. From his half-assed response, she could tell his attention was elsewhere.

"I was thinking of going about this another way." She continued.

"Hmm. What's that?" he asked absently, still focusing on his report.

"Go undercover. Try to penetrate one of their cells here."

"What?" Mike's fingers froze on his keyboard. "NO! Nadia, that's ridiculous. I mean, you're the freaking Director of CTU New York. You should have your field guys do that."

She obviously had his full attention now.

"They don't have the contacts that I do, Mike. I don't think that I ever told you this, but I've done this many times before."

"Done what when?" he was starting to get irritated. His report was due first thing tomorrow and here she was about to make what he considered to be a stupid move.

"I was on a number of covert missions when I was in CTU Detroit. I actually got a commendation for it."

The line on the other end went quiet. Mike was still trying to process the implications of what she said.

"I heard a rumor that one of my old connections is in New York now. It wouldn't be difficult to establish contact with him again." Nadia continued.

"What would that entail - establishing contact?" he asked sarcastically.

"Excuse me?" She started to raise her voice, bristling at the implied insult.

"Would you have to sleep with him? Let me rephrase that, did you ever have to sleep with him?" He blurted out his thoughts aloud before he could stop himself. That sounded really obnoxious, but he couldn't help it. From his experience, anytime a fairly attractive woman was involved in covert operations, it was usually as bait. And Nadia was more than fairly attractive.

"How dare you even ask me that!" she was yelling at him now. Mike could imagine the little hairs at the back of her neck standing on end, as it always did whenever she was furious. "Why are you so fixated about who I've slept with anyway?"

"Why are you not answering the question? It's a simple yes or no!" His voice was much more forceful now as well.

"Because it's none of your damned business what I do to get my job done!" Nadia was livid.

"Well, the last time I checked, you and I were still together. So, yes, it IS my business!"

"I am not under interrogation here, Mike."

"Oh, for God's sake, Nadia, it's much too dangerous. You don't even know if your cover is still any good. I'm not letting you do this." He wished he could reach out and shake some sense into her.

"Damn you, Mike! I'm not asking for your permission."

"For the last time, Nadia, you're not doing this. Conversation over."

"Well, so is this relationship!"

Mike could still hear her gritting her teeth in anger as the line went dead. He was taking a big gamble going to see her without any advance notice, but last night's conversation with the bartender got him thinking. This was the least he could do to salvage whatever was left of their relationship.

He looked out the window and watched the rain pouring down outside. The plane still hadn't taken off because of the inclement weather. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

**Next Chapter: If Doyle thinks it will be easy getting back together, he's in for a shock.**

**A****/N – ****A****t this point, I'm on the fence on where to take Kate. I'm leaning towards happily married but that could change. Suggestions welcome so please leave a review. **

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	3. A Little Too Late

**A/N – Thanks for the lovely reviews. Sorry this took so long. I already had one written up, but it didn't flow well so I had to start from scratch.**

**Disclaimer: Characters are owned by 24**

A Little Too Late

Moonlight streamed through the large window of her bedroom. The whirring noise of sirens pierced through the silence as random fire trucks passed by.

Nadia lay still on the bed, eyes wide open. No matter what she did, sleep wasn't coming to her easily tonight. She was still trying to convince herself that she had made the right decision. She broke up with him in the heat of a fight, spurred by the contempt in his voice. It hurt that he could so easily revert back to thinking the worst of her.

She had started having misgivings about their relationship since she moved to New York. There was a nagging thought at the back of her mind that something was missing. Without the distraction of his presence, she slowly realized that she hardly knew anything about him. The few months they were together may have been intense and mind-blowing; but there was no talk about the past, no guarantee of a future. At the time, that had been enough for her.

And then reality set in. Broken promises. Aborted visits. Indifference.

It hadn't started out that way, but lately that seemed to be the pattern of their interaction. He would tell her that there had been a last-minute change of plan but offer no explanation or apology, as if she should be used to it by now. When asked why he had postponed yet another trip to see her, he would reply with a sarcastic remark, as if she had just asked a stupid question. When told that she missed him, the line would stay silent on the other end.

Was it any wonder that she felt more frustrated with each passing week?

Perhaps they didn't have a strong enough foundation to withstand the distance; after all, they had been together for barely two months before she left LA. As it stood, they now had spent more time apart than together.

She closed her eyes momentarily. She was beyond tears at this point. Her life was here now; his was back in LA.

* * *

The cab dropped him off at the corner of a quiet tree-lined street in the West Village. Doyle stared at the row of old brick town homes on either side. _Brownstones. That's what people call them here_. Nadia had said. Now he understood why she had been so excited when she found an apartment in one of them. In contrast to the drab mid-rise building she had left in LA, these exuded a certain old world charm. 

Her neighborhood couldn't be more different from what he imagined New York City would be like. There were no skyscrapers, and the streets were deserted. Then again, it was only 7:30 in the morning; New Yorkers probably slept in late on weekends. He knew that Nadia certainly did.

They were polar opposites even in their sleeping habits. While Mike usually nodded off by 10 each night, Nadia would read well into the wee hours. On weekends, Mike liked to get up early for a run. Many mornings began with him untangling himself gently from the arms and legs wrapped around his body and gingerly slipping out of the bed to avoid waking her up. She would immediately sense the loss of warmth and whimper in protest and would only be appeased when he placed his pillow between her arms, the scent of him on it reassuring her of his presence. He usually finished a run and a shower by the time she showed any further signs of stirring.

Doyle smiled to himself. _No, she wouldn't be too happy at being woken up this early._

He walked around the block to while away the time, stopping by a deli to get a cup of coffee and a bouquet of white lilies. They were Nadia's favorite flowers, and their faint fragrance brought back memories of happier days in LA. There were times when he would pick up a bunch on the way back from his morning run. He chuckled softly as he remembered always being on the lookout for people he knew and praying that he wouldn't bump into anyone from his field ops team.

As he came back to her street, he saw a woman returning from her morning run. She smiled faintly upon seeing the flowers and let him follow her inside the brownstone. Nadia's apartment was on the fourth floor, and there was no elevator in sight. By the time he climbed up to the top floor, his heart was beating faster than normal, and it wasn't only because of the exercise.

He paused outside her door and took a deep breath. _Here goes nothing_. He rang the doorbell once. There was no answer. He rang it again, this time pressing the button a little longer. He could hear some stirring inside and footsteps heading towards the door.

"Who is it?" a distinctly male voice asked. Doyle could sense a pair of eyes staring at him through the peephole. The man opened the door partially but kept the privacy chain intact. From the narrow opening, Mike could make out a good-looking young man of medium height and build, with tousled dark hair and dark eyes. Something about him seemed vaguely familiar.

_Maybe this is the wrong apartment._

"I'm sorry. Does Nadia Yassir live here?"

"Yes, but she's still asleep. Can I help you?" He rubbed his eyes sleepily.

Mike didn't answer. He stared at the door in disbelief. He could feel waves of anger rushing forward from the back of his head, turning his ears a bright shade of red. His hands slowly tightened into fists but stayed at his side. Right now, only sheer willpower was preventing him from reaching out and yanking the man's neck through the doorway opening. Instead, he turned around and started walking towards the stairs, hardly noticing that he was still clutching the bouquet of flowers in a tight grip.

_It didn't take her long, did it? First __A__ntonia, now Nadia. I sure know how to pick 'em._

* * *

**Next Chapter: Did she or didn't she? In any case, the threat starts to unveil...**

**A/N – After I published this, I realized that I wasn't being fair to Doyle and made it seem like the break up was all his fault, so I wrote a little one shot called Why Conversations are Overrated to explain Doyle's POV of the break up. Ideally should be read before one goes on to Chapter 4...  
**

**Liked it? Hated it? Please review and let me know.**


	4. Mistaken Identity

**A****/N – Thank you for all your reviews! Sorry if this one took so long. I was a little distracted after I published Chapter 3. I felt I made Doyle take all the blame for the break up, so I had to fish him out of that hole by writing a one shot companion fic called Why Conversations are Overrated. If you haven't yet, please check it out and let me know if you like it. **

**I realize the last chapter left readers wondering, so… **

**Disclaimer: Characters are owned by 24 **

Mistaken Identity

Agent Baker's demeanor changed instantly as he quietly closed the door of the apartment. Gone was the feigned sleepiness; in its place, genuine apprehension. He put his headset on and adjusted the mouthpiece as he spoke to a colleague standing by on the street below.

"Suspect's on his way down now. Keep an eye on him. I got a visual when I opened the door. Just need to run it through to CTU to get an id."

Hunching over his laptop, Baker placed his thumb on the fingerprint reader and typed in his pass code to log in. The camera was already hooked up so all he had to do was upload the images. A few more keystrokes and he would be done.

"Damn." He swore softly as blinking red messages flashed on the screen. "The system's down for maintenance. It won't be up for another twenty minutes." He forgot about that. CTU was minimally staffed on weekends and usually rebooted their servers early Saturday morning.

"We're gonna lose him." The man on the other end replied.

"We can't lose him. Just bring him up for questioning then. I'm calling Nadia."

* * *

Mike made his way down four flights of stairs in record time. He couldn't get away from her apartment fast enough. When he reached the foyer, he yanked the main door open and almost pulled it out of its hinges. He hurried down the steps leading to the street and continued walking briskly even though he had no idea where he was going. 

There was a dull throbbing around his temples and his heart was palpitating wildly. If he weren't such a hard-bitten skeptic, he would have sworn that was the sound of his heart about to break.

_What a chump.  
You should have just taken the hint when she broke up with you and stayed in L__A.  
It was dumb to think this long distance thing would work, especially when you've been together, what, all of two months?  
What the hell were you thinking getting involved with her in the first place. _

Whether it was due to lack of sleep or his emotional state, Mike failed to notice that a man had been following him all this time. As he paused to dump the flowers in a nearby trash can, he felt a piece of cold metal pressed to his side. From the diameter of the barrel, he could tell it was a Glock 36, a weapon he was most familiar with.

"Sir, I need you to come with me."

If the man had known whom he was dealing with, he would agree that this was probably not a smart move. Mike Doyle, in a foul mood, could easily take him out, gun or no gun. Mike played along and did as he was told. In the meantime, his eyes surveyed the area for other possible hostiles while his brain calculated the odds of taking them on with a borrowed weapon.

* * *

Dark brown lashes slowly fluttered open as a loud and persistent ring seeped through the sleepy fog of her subconscious mind. For a moment, she was a little disoriented and couldn't quite remember where she was. The drawn aluminum blinds, the bare grey walls and taupe carpeting were a far cry from the warm and sunny room that she usually woke up to. Her right arm reached forward to the side table in an effort to find the offending source of the noise. 

"This is Nadia." Her voice was still husky from sleep. This was much earlier than the time she normally got up on weekends. Then again, it's not like she got much sleep last night. Tossing and turning in the unfamiliar bed and thinking about Mike Doyle kept her awake half the night.

"Nadia, this is Baker." He said urgently. "Someone came here looking for you this morning. Possibly a hostile, but he didn't fit the description of the men you told us to watch out for."

"What did he look like?" The reason why she was here was slowly coming back to her.

"Blond. Caucasian. Some light scarring around the eyes. It's possible that he could be working for them. CTU systems are still down so I can't get an id. I've just sent his picture to your pda."

Nadia sat up instantly, all grogginess gone. She didn't even have to look at the image to know who it was.

_Oh God. Mike Doyle was here in _ _New York City._

"No, Tom. That's Mike Doyle, Director of Field Ops in CTU LA. He's one of our own. Where is he now?"

"Peters is bringing him back up here for questioning. Do you have any idea why he's looking for you?"

"He's a friend." She said simply, not wishing to elaborate any further. "Please ask Agent Peters to bring him here."

"Are you sure?" Baker asked with some misgiving. "He didn't look too happy when he left here." He omitted telling her the part about Mike Doyle holding a bouquet of flowers in some sort of death grip as he disappeared down the stairs.

_I'll bet he didn't. He must have taken one look at you and jumped to the wrong conclusion. Like he always does about me. _

"Yes, I'm sure."

* * *

"Can you tell me what's going on?" Mike snarled softly as he heard the man receive further instructions through his earpiece. 

"I'm Agent Peters, CTU New York Field Ops. I'm putting the gun down now, but I have orders to bring you to the safe house where Nadia Yassir is staying." He said under his breath.

"A safe house! WHY?" This was the last thing he expected. "Is she all right?"

His voice cracked a little with the question. Any jealous thoughts still lingering in his head were firmly pushed out by worried ones now.

_Oh God. Nadia. You'd better be all right. _

"Shh, keep your voice down." He looked around to make sure no one had heard them. "She's fine for now, but we believe there are people out to get her. It was best that she stayed somewhere other than her apartment over the weekend."

"The guy upstairs…"

"Agent Baker. He was staking out her apartment last night in case they came for her there."

"Who's they?" Mike was liking this situation less and less.

"I'm not at liberty to say. Nadia can give you more details later when you see her."

Mike's eyes narrowed in annoyance, but he decided against coercing more information from the man out of professional courtesy. After all, Peters was Field Ops too.

"What's the fastest way to get to her?"

"By subway."

"Let's go." Mike hardly noticed that he was practically dragging Agent Peters even though he didn't have a clue where they were heading.

* * *

Binney Park was going to be a hub of activity this Saturday. Even though it was still quite early, young families had already started trickling in, eager to secure the perfect spot to lay out their picnic blankets for today's event. 

Kate picked a shady spot under a massive oak tree. It had a lovely view of the lake but was far enough that she didn't have to worry about her children falling into it. Thankfully, she had the foresight to come early. Greenwich, Connecticut was hedge-fund-trader country, and the high concentration of type A personalities in the area meant that there was bound to be some jostling over prime picnic real estate later on.

Her husband, Todd, immediately plopped himself down on the red and white striped blanket as soon as Kate laid it on the ground. Even he seemed to have checked his brain out and lay there basking in the morning sun.

"Nice work, sweetheart. Now, I'm going back to sleep." He tugged at Kate's right hand and pulled her down to join him. Kate's other hand was straining to hold on to her son who was now pulling her in the other direction.

"No, Robbie, stay with Mommy." She said sternly as she struggled to keep the little squirming ball at her side.

"But I want to go with Libbie…" The little boy pouted his lips in disappointment as he saw his sister scamper away to join her friends.

"Olivia! Be careful." she called out to her daughter. Kate knew it was futile to tell her to come back at this point.

Dark-haired Olivia, four, was fearless and headstrong, undoubtedly traits she got from her father. Armed with a sharp, curious mind as well as gangly arms and legs that wouldn't keep still, she had already surveyed the lay of the land and made up her mind to explore the small gazebo.

Tow-headed Robert, three was gentle and affectionate, taking after his mother in appearance and temperament. He idolized his older sister and often ran after her with his stubby little legs. Unfortunately, he was never quite fast enough to keep up with her escapades; oftentimes, he would be left watching her wistfully as she sped away.

Realizing it was pointless to run after his sister, Robbie turned his attention to the picnic basket beside his mother.

_Thank goodness he's easily distracted_.

Kate was about to reach inside for a banana when a faint rustle in the bushes caught her attention. The day was unseasonably warm, and there was a noticeable absence of a breeze. It couldn't be the wind.

"Todd, did you hear that?" She tugged at her husband's arm.

"Hmm?" he rubbed his eyes and yawned, barely registering that he heard her. Kate realized that he was useless when he was in this state.

"Something in the bushes." Instinctively, she craned her neck and looked around for her daughter. Olivia was still in the gazebo with her friends chatting animatedly.

"Could be just a deer. Don't be so paranoid." He said as he turned on his side away from her and went back to sleep.

Satisfied that it was probably nothing, Kate cut a piece of banana and placed it in Robbie's mouth. She was blissfully unaware that she was being watched by a pair of bright blue eyes.

The person observing Kate was speaking with someone else on the cell phone.

"Yes. I see her. She's with her family."

"Quite a charming scene, actually."

"Tuesday will be fine. Make it look like an accident."

* * *

**Next Chapter: Who's after Nadia?  
**

**I know, I know I'm prolonging the inevitable, but please don't throw rotten tomatoes at me for keeping Doyle and Nadia apart one more chapter. I promise that they see each other in the next one. Kate's story is picked up a few chapters later...  
**

**A****s usual, please leave a review. ****A****ll suggestions and comments are welcome. **


	5. The Perils of Field Life

**A****/N – Thank you again for your reviews. Hope you like this chapter…**

**Disclaimer: Characters are owned by 24**

The Perils of Field Life

Mike followed Agent Peters into the safe house. Technically speaking, it was a 'safe apartment' inside an anonymous mid-1960's building close to the CTU headquarters in downtown New York.

He'd seen holding cells bigger than this living room, but Nadia seemed to fit right in. For once, her petite frame was not overwhelmed by the size of the space. Her hair was cut a little shorter, barely skimming her shoulders now. There were dark circles under her eyes which he knew generally appeared during times of stress. She also seemed to have lost a little weight. _God, the woman needs to get off her diet of tic tacs for dinner._

She had been talking to Peters and was now addressing him, but the sight of her seemed to have rendered him momentarily deaf.

"I said, how are you Mike?" She asked him again. Her eyes were looking at him quizzically, unsure of how to react to his being there.

He swallowed and mustered a weak "Ok, and you?" accompanied by a gentle squeeze of her arm.

Nadia noticed that his voice broke a little bit, like it usually did when he was choked up with emotion but was trying to hide it. She stared back at him and responded with a nod and unsure smile.

He needed a haircut. His blue eyes seemed a little cloudy and dull. A five o'clock shadow was apparent around his jaw line, proof that he had been on the red eye flight from LA. Overall, he looked haggard and tired, as if he'd just gone through a clothes wringer. _He's not taking care of himself like I told him to. I wouldn't be surprised if I find another bullet hole somewhere in him._

There was an awkward silence as both quietly took in the other's presence. This wasn't lost on Agent Peters who was now beginning to feel like a fifth wheel. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other uncomfortably, but the slight movement only served to remind Mike of why they were there.

"Who's after you?" Mike asked her, his tone firm and business-like. He couldn't think of anything else to say with Peters still there. _When was this guy going to leave them alone?_

For a moment, he thought he saw a look of fear cross her face, but it was gone in the blink of an eye. Wordlessly, she motioned them to sit on the couch and took out a small object from the brown envelope lying on the coffee table.

"This package addressed to me was dropped off anonymously at CTU yesterday." She held up the pewter ring, slightly dented and scratched, with a rather intricate carving on the front. "This belonged to the leader of the cell I infiltrated in Detroit. He's in Guantanamo now."

"So your cover's blown and they want revenge." Mike summed up the situation nice and neatly. Unfortunately, his matter-of-fact comment only seemed to tick her off.

_Does he really have to rub in the fact that he was right about this all along?_

Nadia shot him a look which made it clear that if Agent Peters hadn't been there, she would have laid right into him by now. Ignoring the daggers in her eyes, Doyle turned to Peters.

"What kind of security do you have in this building?"

"Ground patrol, 24 hour surveillance of hallways, and bullet proof glass on the windows to protect against snipers."

"That's great, but I'll need a gun. Can I borrow yours?"

Nadia's eyes widened with indignation.

"What do you think you're doing? You can't..." The familiar grit was back in her husky voice.

"I'm not leaving you here by yourself, Nadia. I'm staying." He cut off her protests with a curt look and turned once more to Agent Peters. "Thanks. I can take it from here."

Nadia rolled her eyes in annoyance.

_Why does he insist on announcing our relationship to everyone? We're not even together anymore._

Agent Peters loosened the collar of his shirt nervously. _Was it hot in here or what? _ At Nadia's insistence, he had sat between the two of them but now regretted being caught in the crossfire as the tension in the room rose to uncomfortable levels. _These two just need to get it over and done with_.

"Um, Ms. Yassir, I have to get back. Agent Baker and I have to wrap up."

Laying the gun on the table, he stood up and headed towards the door. Nadia followed and saw him out.

"Thank you for doing this, Phil. I should be fine with Agent Doyle here. Please enjoy what's left of your weekend."

Agent Peters left the apartment totally confused. He didn't understand what was going on between the two, but he was quite sure that Mike Doyle was the reason someone as pretty and seemingly unattached as Nadia was always so oblivious to the interest she generated among the men at work. _A__t least she'll be safe over the weekend. If they don't kill each other first, that is._

As soon as the door closed, Nadia whirled around to face Mike, her hands aggressively on her hips.

"What the hell was THAT?"

"What? I'm glad he finally took the hint." Mike said absently. He seemed oblivious to her anger; instead, he went around the room peering out of the drawn blinds and testing the locks on the windows.

"No, I meant you taking over just like that, acting like we're still together. What do you think Agent Peters was thinking when he left?" She was dismayed at the thought of the rumors that would be circulating around CTU on Monday.

"That you should count yourself lucky I volunteered to be your 24 hour personal bodyguard." At this point, Mike had completed checking the tiny kitchenette and bathroom and was satisfied that all was in order. He turned around to face her. "Honestly, Nadia, I couldn't give a damn what he thought."

"Well, I do. Thanks to you, I'm now going to be the topic of conversation at the locker room on Monday. That really undermines my authority with the Field Ops team!"

"You just have to grow a thicker skin for stuff like that, especially now that you're CTU Director." He explained patiently, not wanting this to degenerate into another fight. " Anyway, if I were you, I'd be more worried about your safety than your authority right now. Just because you're in a safe house doesn't mean they can't get to you."

"Yes, I know that, but you can't stay here." Nadia said firmly.

"Why not? Afraid that you'll regret breaking up with me?" He teased gently, trying to coax a smile from her, but Nadia didn't rise to the bait.

"Look, Mike, you've not come to visit at all these past four months. Why now?" She asked coldly.

"You haven't returned any of my calls." He said quietly. "I don't happen to agree with your decision, and I'd like to know the real reason why you broke up with me. I mean, it can't just have been because of one fight."

Nadia sighed. This was a conversation she dreaded having this early in the morning, especially before she's even had her cup of tea.

"Tell me, is there someone else?" He said in a low voice, his eyes downcast. It pained him to ask, but he had to know.

"No! Why would you even think that?" She denied emphatically.

"Then I don't understand. What's the problem?" He sounded genuinely baffled.

_I can't believe he's asking me that. Were we even in the same relationship these past few months? _

"Well, for starters, the fact that you haven't come to visit until it's too late."

Mike exhaled deeply, trying to conceal his growing exasperation at having to sound like a broken record.

"Nadia, we've been through this many times before. I couldn't come sooner because …"

She cut him off before he could finish. She was no stranger to his reasoning.

"Because of your damned job! You know, Mike, it's really flattering to know where I stand in your priorities."

"Hey! I could say the same about you, but I don't. You could have hopped on a flight to LA just as easily. Why haven't you done that?" Instinctively, Mike got on the offensive although he knew he would regret it a moment later.

"Look, if all we're going to do is rehash another of our fights, you might as well just leave right now." She yelled.

"Yeah, like I'm going to leave you alone now, of all times." Sarcasm started to drip back into his voice; Mike did not like being dismissed like that. She was really testing his patience, but he resolved to remain conciliatory. "I just want a shot to work this out with you, ok?"

"No! There's nothing left to discuss." She snapped.

Mike's eyes narrowed at the rejection, and he dropped further attempts to reason with her. Nadia watched him slowly come towards her, unable to tear her eyes away from his gaze. It was as if she had flashed a red cape in front of a now very angry bull. Her breathing became shallower with each step he took forward. She hadn't realized her back was against the door until she felt the door knob jutting against her spine.

He stopped when the negative space between them was nonexistent. His legs flanked either side of her, cutting off any means of escape. He raised his hand and let the back of his fingers trace the outline of her face, from her jaw to her cheek to her ear, before reaching out behind her. Nadia was startled by a brief clicking sound until she realized he had just fastened the deadbolt on the door, as if to emphasize that there was no way out. His hand deliberately remained against it as he leaned forward, his face inching closer to hers.

"What are you doing?" She licked her lips nervously although her eyes glowed with anticipation.

"This is what's left…" His mouth came down hungrily and pried her lips open. He relished the sensation of her teeth lightly scraping his tongue as it slid into her mouth. She tasted like spearmint, a little sweet, a little cool. _Has it only been four months? Hell, it seemed so much longer._

"…but we're over." She murmured halfheartedly when they both gasped for air. Their eyes were still closed, their noses still touching and their lips hovering around each other's.

"No… we're not." Mike said it softly, like it was a secret. He tugged at her lower lip as he resumed the assault, his stubble grazing the tender skin around her mouth.

Nadia could taste the faint bitterness of black coffee on his tongue. Black with a single lump of sugar. That was how he liked it.

And there were other things she knew he liked as well...

Her mouth traveled up past his cheek, stopping to nip an earlobe before returning down the same path. Her hands tugged his shirt loose from his trousers and slipped underneath it to explore the muscles below his rib cage. She felt his hands follow the curve of her body until it rested on her hips and pulled them close.

"Mmm...don't stop." he growled, clearly enjoying the soft body squirming against him, and then…

"…OWW!!!"

"Mike! What's wrong?" Her eyelids flew open in shock as her hand paused on the rough patch of skin under his left rib.

Mike winced in pain as Nadia accidentally rubbed her hand over it again. Worried now, she quickly unbuttoned his shirt, her fingers fumbling nervously. She found herself staring at a sliver of puckered skin on his chest.

"This is new! When did this happen?" She looked up at him accusingly. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

Feeling a little embarrassed, he turned his head to one side and ran his hand through his hair.

"About two months ago. It's just a little nick and it's already almost healed." He couldn't look her in the eye as he muttered the excuse.

"A little nick! You were wounded." She exclaimed. "Wait a minute. Was that the time when…"

"Yes." He confessed without hesitation, like a little kid who was caught lying and decided coming clean right away would lighten his punishment. He was still looking at anywhere but her.

Mike was supposed to have come to New York that weekend. Flashes of it came back to her now -- rushing out of CTU to go to JFK airport that Friday evening, anxiously looking for the familiar scowl in the sea of faces that streamed out of the gate, the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach when she realized he was not on that plane. She must have left him fifteen messages at the time, each one progressively angrier than the next. He called her the following day to apologize saying that he was tired and decided to stay home that weekend. Needless to say, that had led to one of their major fights. She remembered that he had been unusually quiet and that she seemed to have been the only one yelling.

"That was why you never even called until the day after you were supposed to arrive." Everything was suddenly falling into place.

"Well… yes, it's pretty hard to do that when you're under sedation." He said dryly.

"Why didn't McNally tell me? I listed myself as your primary emergency contact."

"I told him not to. I knew you'd worry."

"So you thought it was better to let me think that you were a jerk who couldn't be bothered to come and see me than to tell me you'd been shot at." she said incredulously. _I will never understand how this man thinks!_

From the tone of her voice, he could tell she was starting to get annoyed again.

"I didn't know you would get THAT pissed off." He grinned as he lowered his head one more time to kiss her.

It was so tempting to just give in to him again like she always did, but this time Nadia turned her head aside and evaded his mouth.

She sighed and looked at him squarely. "No, Mike, we need to talk."

He groaned inwardly in frustration. Talking wasn't exactly what he had hoped they would be doing at the moment, but then beggars couldn't be choosers. At least, she wasn't throwing him out on his ear.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Chloe and Morris go shopping. Doyle has to do the thing he dreads the most…**

**p.s. LadyCelestia – no cliffhangers this time except maybe for poor Mike Doyle ;)**

**A****/N – Please, please review. I really want to know what you think… **


	6. Look Who's Talking

**A****/N: I was surprised that the Chloe/Morris part was so easy to write. Dr ****A****lice, hope you enjoy this one. ****A****s for Nadia/Doyle, well, they took me ages to write… **

**Disclaimer: Characters are owned by 24 **

Look Who's Talking

Mike stepped out of the shower and rubbed himself vigorously with a towel, hoping to rid his body of the lemon verbena scent from Nadia's soap. It was bad enough his hair smelled like lavender from her shampoo.

He was lucky that she agreed to postpone the "talk" until after he had showered. Mike rifled through the contents of his backpack for some body lotion while he thought of other things he could do to prolong his grooming. Shaving was out. He purposely didn't bring any shaving paraphernalia on this trip. After all, it was only for the weekend and Nadia usually didn't mind him being a little grizzly.

"Mike! What's taking you so long? Lunch is ready." Nadia yelled out from the kitchen.

_For crying out loud, I've only been here 20 minutes. Your hair alone takes that long to dry. Where IS that damned lotion? _

Mike exhaled in irritation as he realized he hadn't brought any. This spur of the moment trip didn't really leave him with enough time to pack; hence, most essentials like shampoo, soap and body lotion were left sitting in his bathroom in LA.

_No choice but to use hers then. I just hope it's not anything tutti-frutti. Why can't the woman just use Lubriderm like I do? _

"Nadia…" He called out. "Do you have any lotion? I forgot mine."

"In the bedroom. On top of the dresser." She shouted back. "Please hurry, your omelet's getting cold!"

Wrapping the towel around his waist, Mike padded barefoot to the tiny bedroom and found the bottle of lotion where she said it would be. He briefly read the label to decide whether or not he should just live with dry skin for the weekend.

_Strawberry Lemonade. Good God. P__A__SS! Like I don't already smell like a girl. _

Out of instinct, he scanned the rest of the room for anything amiss and automatically zeroed in on the silver picture frame by the night stand. It seemed so out of place amidst the generic furniture in the room; she must have brought it with her. He strode over and picked up the small object. In it was a photo of himself smiling down at a beaming Nadia, his arms wrapped around her waist in a rare public display of affection. The candid shot was taken by Morris during Nadia's going away party in LA. Morris had also given him a copy, except that his wasn't framed neatly like this one but just propped up against his bedside lamp for easy access. It had gotten a little dog-eared over the months, the result of constant handling when he needed to be reminded of her.

"What are you doing? I've been waiting more than twenty minutes for lunch!"

Mike slowly turned around to find Nadia standing in the middle of the doorway, arms akimbo. Her flushed face either meant she was drooling over the muscles on his back or that she was annoyed. He guessed it was the latter.

Nadia's eyes widened as she saw what he was holding. She quickly reached out a hand to swipe it from him.

"Give me that!"

Mike caught her wrist in mid-swing. His eyes glimmered with amusement and his lips sported a smug smile.

"So."

Such a small word since the rest of it went unsaid. What he really meant was:

_So, if you're still bringing this picture wherever you sleep, then you can't seriously believe we're over.  
So, the balance of power has shifted in my favor and I'm going to call your bluff.  
So, we really don't have to talk anymore. _

Nadia felt her mouth go dry as the towel dropped to the floor.

* * *

Chloe could still picture Karen as she issued one last directive before they started their weekend. 

"Before everyone leaves, I wanted to remind all of you about the FIA fundraiser next Tuesday. It's a black tie event so please make sure that you are all dressed appropriately." Karen had looked pointedly at Morris who was wearing a rather flamboyant striped shirt.

"Do I really need to be there?" Jack had asked. He was certainly not looking forward to dusting off his old tux and socializing with a bunch of staid Wall Street types.

"Absolutely, Jack. You are CEO of BXJ! This is one of the biggest events in the financial industry and it's important that we raise awareness of BXJ's capabilities among the attendees."

_God, you'd think she was CEO, not Jack_. "I may not be up for it, Karen." Chloe had briefly glared at her before looking down her own belly just to stress the point.

"Chloe, please try to go, even if you don't stay long. We don't have the luxury of a marketing staff right now, so it's down to the five of us to promote the company and establish a presence." Karen had pleaded with her. "If you don't have anything to wear, please go out and buy something this weekend. You can put it on BXJ's tab."

"Oh, all right." She had said grudgingly.

_A__nd so here I am. Thumbing through the sale rack of evening gowns at _ _Saks Fifth __A__venue__ on a Saturday afternoon.  
Gold lame? Hmm. No.  
Silver sequins? Hah! I'd look like I ate a disco ball. _

Finally, she settled on a charcoal grey androgynous Yohji Yamamoto inspired number that seemed like it had enough fabric to put up a small tent. She was about to enter the dressing room when Morris called out to her.

"No, no, no…" He clucked disapprovingly at her choice. "Dahling, you're an autumn! You'll look so jarring in grey." Morris firmly believed that women should only wear colors in their seasonal palette.

"But this is the only one that's going to fit me in my state." She whined.

He let out a little shudder as he looked up and down the swath of stiff fabric that enveloped its hanger.

"Ugh, this cut is awful. I can't have you going to that fundraiser looking like a ninja! Come with me."

He led her back to the racks, returned the offending garment and rifled through the other gowns. Finally, he pulled out a long bottle-green dress.

"Here. This is a much better color for you." One hand held the dress against her while the other rested thoughtfully under his chin. Morris looked at her with a practiced eye and nodded in approval. "Yes, definitely much better. Now let me go find you some shoes."

Chloe scowled as she reluctantly took the dress from him. She looked doubtfully at the long thin column of silk crepe fabric and wondered if she could even put it on.

"This looks like it could be, um, tight."

Unfortunately, Chloe found that she was talking to herself at that point. Morris was already on his way up the escalator to the fourth floor which housed the famous Saks Fifth Avenue designer shoe salon.

* * *

Chloe stared at the reflection of the woman in the green floor-length dress. The wide v décolletage visually lengthened her neck while the absence of sleeves showed off her toned arms. That was probably the only part of her body that had not given way to any swelling. The simple A-line cut skimmed her figure and draped over the noticeable bump on her belly. She wrinkled her nose with distaste as her eyes rested on the outline of her belly button. 

_Ugh, an outie. Note to self: use tape when I wear this on Tuesday. _

Her eyes traveled back upwards and took note of the positive side of her condition.

_One good thing about being pregnant, I get to have boobs! _She grinned with much satisfaction.

She had to admit that Morris had done a great job picking out this dress for her; but then, he always had impeccable taste.

A brief knock interrupted her session of self admiration. Chloe turned around and opened the door to the dressing room. There was Morris holding a pair of slingbacks in each hand.

"What is your preference, madam, Jimmy Choo or Christian Louboutin?" he asked with an exaggerated flourish. He smiled proudly at the sight of his wife looking quite regal despite being very obviously pregnant. She really was beautiful in her own way.

Chloe grabbed one shoe in each hand and turned it over to check the price tag on the sole.

"Morris! Have you gone mad? These are over $500 a pair. Jack would go ballistic!"

"Don't worry, sweetheart, my old buddy upstairs can get it for us at half price with his employee discount." He reassured her with a little wink.

* * *

Their bodies lay on the bed like two snug-fitting spoons, with his arm curved over her ribcage and his legs loosely wrapped around hers. Both their eyes were closed and their breathing was synchronized and steady. 

By the time one of them woke up, there was no more sunlight filtering through the blinds.

_Where had the afternoon gone? _

Nadia blushed as she recalled exactly where it went. She raised her fingers to her face and traced the outline of her swollen lips before trailing down her chin and neck where patches of red started to appear. They felt tender to the touch, as if they had been rubbed with medium grit sandpaper. Parts of her body also felt a little sore since muscles that had not been used in months were given a full workout today. The rest of her felt drained of all tension, like she had just gotten a deep-tissue massage.

She turned her head slightly to face him. A warm burst of air tickled her cheek as he exhaled. Unlike this morning when he looked all pale and haggard, Mike seemed to have regained some color while asleep. The harsh lines perpetually etched on his face seemed to have disappeared; in fact, he looked quite boyish and innocent. Nadia just lay there watching him, memorizing every feature before he disappeared back to LA.

It was some time before she felt any movement from him. The feet that sandwiched hers slowly started to rub against them in a circular motion, generating a lovely warm feeling.

"Your feet are always cold." He complained, smiling even though his eyes were still closed, concentrating on the sensation at their feet.

Nadia smiled back and briefly touched her lips to his, not as a kiss, but as a smile lightly pressed against another one.

"How are you feeling?" she murmured against his lips.

He let out a contented sigh. "Spent. You?"

"Sore." She whispered back.

_Hell! What have I done? _

His eyelids flew open in alarm, only to find brown eyes staring at him with some amusement. He returned the scrutiny and noted the red marks on her chin and neck. Despite her teasing look, he knew her answer was not far from the truth. Peeling back the covers, he found more of his handiwork. There were stubble burns and love bites around her ribcage and along her thighs. There was also a bruise on her left hip where his hand had gripped tightly.

"God. Nadia, Did I hurt you?" he asked seriously. That was the last thing he wanted.

"You were a little … rough." She admitted softly.

"I'm so sorry. It's just that it's been so long." His eyes were filled with remorse as he looked into hers, trying to search for any signs of reproach.

There were none. Instead, Nadia pointed to his shoulder to show him where she had left teeth marks. To further prove that she gave as good as she got, her fingers ran over the long angry streaks on his back where her nails had dug in and dragged.

She whispered something in his ear which caused his face to turn beet red.

"Nadia, I can't!" He groaned in frustration while his eyes took on a look of panic. "It's too soon. I haven't..., um, recuperated."

She laughed out loud, all pent up desire dissipating.

"Oh that's right, I forgot. I'm sleeping with a middle-aged man." She teased.

She yelped as he gave her a playful swat on her behind.

"I'm only three years older than you. Besides you wanted to talk, right?" He countered. "Now is the perfect time."

But her stomach had other ideas. A little growl emanated from it as if to complain that it had yet to be fed.

"Hungry?" He laughed when he heard it too.

"Starving. We missed lunch you know." She said crossly while she wagged a finger at him. " All because someone couldn't keep his hands off me."

"Hey! Thank me for the 250 calories we each just lost." He grinned.

"Should we get out of bed now?" she asked, not making a move because she really didn't feel like it.

"I've got a better idea. Stay here."

Mike got out of bed and tried to stand up, but his knees were still a bit wobbly and he almost slid to the floor. Nadia suppressed a giggle knowing it would hurt his fragile male ego. _Mike Doyle, Field Ops' Finest, brought down to his knees by…, well, me._

* * *

Mike returned with a glass of cold water on one hand and a plateful of omelet balanced precariously on the other. That hand seemed to be holding something else underneath the plate. The smile disappeared from Nadia's face when she realized it was a gun. It was a quick jolt of reality, reminding her why she was here in the first place. 

Her change in mood was not lost on him. He put the plate and glass on the nightstand and quickly slipped the gun under the bed. _Out of sight, out of mind._

Sitting on the edge of the mattress, he faced the woman who was now curled up like a ball, hugging her knees to her chest, seeming so naked and vulnerable. Mike lifted her chin, gently pulled down her lower lip with his thumb, and placed a forkful of omelet near her mouth, letting her have the first bite. They ate in silence this way, with him alternately feeding forkfuls of the soft creamy egg to her mouth then his. When she was done, Nadia daintily sipped water from the glass; after which Mike drank the remainder in one long continuous stream, barely slaking his thirst.

He climbed back to bed and leaned against the pillow, letting Nadia rest her head on his chest.

"What time do you leave tomorrow?" She asked, her face a little pensive as her fingers drew little circles on the muscles of his stomach.

"I've changed my mind. I can't very well leave you alone like this."

"Will McNally be ok with that?"

"Probably not, but he'll understand when I tell him why." _I hope._

She placed a soft kiss near the wound by his left rib, grateful that he was going to spend a little more time with her.

"My wife never wanted to hear about my injuries." He said out of the blue.

She looked up at him questioningly. He had never spoken about her before.

"What was she like?" She asked curiously. She had seen a photo of them in his apartment a few months ago, and they had seemed like a happy family.

"Sweet. Frail. She tried her best to be the perfect wife and mother."

"Do you still miss her?" She asked even though she had a feeling she knew the answer.

He shook his head slowly. The edges of his mouth turned halfway up into a wistful smile.

"We got married when we were still very young, but later on I think we realized we wanted different things. People just grow apart, I guess."

His hands continued stroking the silky dark hair splayed out on his chest. It had a calming effect on him and seemed to make him a little more talkative.

"Over dinner, I'd talk about my day and tell her I nearly got shot. She'd be like 'That's not good, dear. Please pass the salt.'" His voice sounded almost pained, like he was sorry things didn't work out between them. "She never said anything to me, but deep down, I knew she couldn't handle what I did for a living. She probably would have divorced me if she had lived."

Nadia was assimilating all this new information. She couldn't help feeling some sympathy for his wife.

"I can't say I blame her. It's tough even for me, considering I'm in the business. I constantly worry about you getting injured." She closed her eyes and let out a little sigh. "Fieldwork is just so…" _what was the word_ "…unstable."

"Is that why you broke up with me?" He asked gently.

"No…" she said then changed her mind. "Maybe a little. Mostly because I just didn't think we were headed anywhere… I still don't." No matter how idyllic the afternoon had been, reality always had a way of creeping back and catching them unaware. Nothing had really changed.

"So what happened this afternoon doesn't make a difference?" He said incredulously; he couldn't hide the hurt in his voice.

"Mike, this is just not sustainable." She pleaded with him to understand. "You in LA. Me here in New York. Us meeting every four months over a weekend. At some point, something's got to give."

"I know that. That's why I'm joining BXJ." He said quietly. _There, the cat was out of the bag._

"What?!" she exclaimed. "But you love your job."

"Not really. I'm getting tired of being target practice." He deadpanned then continued on more seriously. "I gave CTU notice a few months ago, but McNally advised me to stay on until my retirement benefits all vest."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"Things were all up in the air. Nothing was going right." He explained. "I was supposed to start at BXJ two months after you left LA, then I found out about this retirement thing and had to ask Jack if I could push the date back. I wasn't sure if he was going to rescind the offer, but I think that's all sorted out now." The relief was evident in his voice.

He cupped her face tenderly with both hands, his eyes pleading with her.

"Can you hang on a few more months for me, Nadia?"

She turned her head to one side and placed a soft kiss on one of his palms.

"Yes, Mike, I'll hang on."

* * *

**Next Chapter: Chloe & Morris at Solera. Pre fundraiser jitters at CTU. **

**A****/N – Pinkjimmychoos – which pair of shoes did Chloe choose? ;)**

**A****ll – Don't forget to review… **


	7. CTU Meets Wall St

**A****/N – Thank you for all the reviews. Sorry this took so long...**

**Disclaimer: Characters are owned by 24****  
**

CTU Meets Wall Street

Mike was leaning on the kitchen doorway. His eyes were squinting as his fingers massaged the space between his brows. There was a loud voice booming out of his ear piece.

"You're WHAT?!" The man at the other end of the line didn't even give him a chance to speak. "No, you can't take this week off with such short notice! Your replacement is starting tomorrow and I need the two of you to work on a transition plan since you're leaving in two months."

Mike was trying his best to remain calm even though his hackles were starting to rise. Much as he liked McNally, the guy could be such a damned bureaucrat at times. He didn't seem to understand that unlike roles in Comm, a transition plan was a rare luxury for Field Ops personnel. Mike lost count of the times he had parachuted into the middle of a crisis to replace men who had either been killed or incapacitated in the line of duty. That's why the Field Ops manuals were standardized across the board, ruling out the need for a transition plan.

"Doyle! Are you still there?" From the silence on the other end, McNally thought that Doyle had hung up on him. He wouldn't put it past the hot-headed young man even though they had forged a good mentor/mentee relationship in the past few months.

"Yes. I'm still here." _Barely.__ A__nd only because I owe you one._

"Listen, you're my head of Field Ops, not some lovesick teenager. Just get on the next shuttle back to LA, ok?" McNally said impatiently. Doyle was interrupting their Sunday dinner and his wife was dragging her fingers across her neck signaling him to end the conversation.

"I'm sorry, sir. I can't do that." Mike said quietly. "Nadia's in danger and I'll be damned if I leave her alone now."

"What kind of danger?" McNally demanded although his voice lowered substantially.

"She received a threat from one of the cells she had previously infiltrated in Detroit; in fact, CTU has her staying in a safe house right now."

"And there's no one else who can look after her." McNally said it as a statement not a question.

"There's no one else I trust, sir." Mike added softly.

There was a moment of silence at the other end. McNally realized that it was pointless to have Doyle return to LA when he was in this state. He would only be distracted and end up hurting himself.

"All right. You have a week to wrap this up and nail those SOB's." he said.

"Thank you, sir. I really appreciate it." Mike breathed a sigh of relief and made a mental note to try the diplomatic route more often.

"Doyle, one more thing…" McNally barked with mock-annoyance. "…this had better get me a wedding invitation."

Mike could sense the older man smiling on the other end and felt his own lips involuntarily turning upward at the thought. _Wedding?! We just barely got back together. I'll settle for not screwing this up over the next few months._

Mike cleared his throat nervously. "I don't think we're at that stage yet, sir."

"Believe me, son, you are." McNally chuckled knowingly.

Nadia was seated at the dining table watching Mike the whole time, baffled by the various emotions that ran through his face.

"How'd it go? Did he give you a hard time?" Nadia asked him anxiously.

"He did at first, but he was cool with it later on." Mike seemed a little evasive, as if he had something on his mind.

Nadia cocked her head to one side curiously. "What's so funny?"

"Huh?"

"You've had that stupid grin on your face since you hung up the phone."

Mike turned a little red and looked away.

"Nothing. Just a private joke."

"Let's go to bed then. We have an early start tomorrow." She was still looking at him strangely. There was something he was not telling her.

Mike looked at her doubtfully. _I don't think she should be heading back to work tomorrow, but then again she might be just as safe in CTU as in this apartment._

* * *

_Marriage._ McNally said it as a joke but it caused Mike to break out in a cold sweat as he lay on the bed contemplating the thought. Before today, he hadn't even let himself think of anything beyond the next few months or so. He and Nadia had so many things to work out. Their relationship had certainly followed an unusual course, and there were things that got accelerated because of her move to New York. 

_Cart before the horse. I know every inch of her body, every expression on her face. I know how she thinks and I can anticipate her every move. But I don't know anything about her past beyond what I've read in her files. For someone who's accused me of being uncommunicative, it's odd that she's never talked about herself. One thing I do know, she's very good at drawing things out of me. __Denver. __A__ntonia. Katie. Meanwhile, I don't know anything about her previous relationships. I don't really even know how she felt about __Milo__. What was up with that kiss I'd heard all about?_

"What's on your mind, Mike?" Nadia asked without looking up from the magazine she was reading.

"What do you mean?" He turned his head to one side and looked at her blankly. He forgot. She could read him like a book too.

"I know when something's bothering you. You get this spaced out look and start muttering to yourself." She regretted the words as soon as they came out of her mouth. _God, I sound like a wife. Get a grip, Nadia. Don't scare him off._

He didn't answer. Even before she left LA, he had always wanted to ask her about Milo but didn't know how to do it without sounding jealous or needy. Also, the guy had just died at the time and he didn't want to add salt to fresh wounds. Was she ready to talk about him now?

"Just thinking, that's all. I'm still amazed that we got together in spite of how we met." He went back to staring at his toes. _Ok I lied. That's really not what I'm thinking._

"Hmm. I guess it did seem kind of bleak at first." Nadia touched her neck involuntarily. "You were the last person I thought I'd end up with."

"You said I got off on hurting people." His voice cracked a little. Her comment that day had hit home. "When did you change your mind about me?"

Nadia set aside her magazine and gently turned to face him, propping her head on one hand and elbow, while the other hand rested on his arm.

_Why would he not know this? Is he just asking for re-assurance? Who would have thought that Mike I-am-an-island Doyle would ever need it.  
_

"Somewhere between you covering up for Milo and telling me that you were looking for answers." She said with a curious smile. "Why did you think it was important to tell me you'd read the Koran?"

_I can't believe she's diverting the conversation back to me. God, she's good. She should try doing interrogations some time._

"I didn't want you to think so badly of me, I guess. After all, we were going to be working together."_ It wasn't only because of work. I don't know why I felt the need to connect with her at the time, but I did._

"Well, it worked." If she was disappointed at his answer, she didn't show it. " After that, you just seemed misunderstood rather than maniacal." _A__nd so mysterious. I was hooked. _

"I'll have to admit I was surprised later on when you asked me if I needed medical assistance." He remembered that moment very well. That was probably the only time that day where he'd cracked a smile, more like a stretch of lips actually. Jack had noticed it too.

"And you thanked me for my concern, but Milo got really pissed off with me after and made a big stink out of that." She wrinkled her nose at the memory.

_Bingo._

"Why? I thought you guys weren't together yet. Did he think he had a reason to get pissed off?" He turned on his side now and mirrored her position, suddenly very interested in this conversation.

Nadia couldn't help blushing as those steel blue eyes examined her face intensely. At once, she understood what he really wanted to know. _He's baiting me, the bastard. Someone must have told him about the kiss._

"Well, he might have thought we were heading somewhere." _I hope this doesn't set him off. I really don't want another fight. _

"Explain." He said in a soft voice, his eyes narrowing a little. _Open up to me Nadia. I won't bite. Not hard anyway._

"After I was released from holding, he kissed me." She looked at him squarely, her eyes not leaving his. "I kissed him back." _There it was out. God knows why I kissed him back. Maybe it was some kind of psychological reaction to what I'd been through._

"Ok." He said it as if he was digesting a piece of intel. Neither his voice nor his face revealed what he was thinking.

For a moment, Nadia was afraid of that one word. _What the hell did ok mean?_

"Would it have made a difference to us if he had lived?"

"No." she said simply. By the end of the day, she knew what her choice was going to be.

That was all Mike needed to know.

* * *

Karim Malek, CTO of Solera, was easy on the eyes. With his striped shirt, khaki trousers and loafers, he looked like he had just stepped out of a J Crew catalog. Chloe liked his relaxed but no-nonsense manner as he went through a visio diagram depicting Solera's technical architecture. For a CTO, he seemed quite hands on and still very much into the details. 

"Our clients connect to us via dedicated Radianz lines so we can guarantee sub second performance for trade execution." He pointed to another part of the diagram. "From a security perspective, our firewalls are configured to only allow traffic in from specific IP addresses provided by these clients."

"These are natted IP's I assume." Morris remarked.

"Yes. I believe that's an industry standard." Karim nodded.

"Where are all the hardware physically located?" Chloe asked.

"In our data center in Weehawken. We also have a contingency site in White Plains."

There was a brief knock on the door before a man with a small wiry frame entered the room. He had wavy thinning hair slicked back with pomade and wire rimmed tortoiseshell glasses hiding shifty looking eyes. In contrast to Karim's preppy look, the man was attired in what could only be termed as 'retro developer chic' -- a form fitting beige short sleeved safari shirt over brown flat front pants.

"Jason, come in. I'm just finishing up with them." Karim turned to Morris and Chloe. "This is Jason Shifman. He's our lead developer and will be going through the application with you in more detail."

After the introductions were done, Karim excused himself and left the conference room. As Jason sat down beside her, Chloe noticed the neon green socks peeking out from his trousers, hinting at a rebellious streak.

"Solera's order management application is deployed as a three tiered architecture. The front end is written in C sharp, while the back end components are C accessing an Oracle database. What else would you like to know?"

"Maybe we can focus on the security related aspects of the application." Morris answered. "How do you do authentication?"

Jason went into lengthy detail explaining Solera's encryption/decryption methods. All the while, Chloe had a hard time focusing on what he was saying since he spoke in a monotonous nasal twang with sentences that started out normally but somehow ended in a mumble. She also couldn't help but get distracted by his guppy lips sucking oxygen while he talked. Afraid that she was going to burst out laughing any minute, she quickly excused herself citing the need for a bathroom break.

She let out a small giggle as she closed the door behind her and walked the length of the corridor. She was about to turn a corner when she heard hushed voices talking. Recognizing that one of them was Karim's, Chloe stopped in her tracks and leaned against the wall to listen.

"How did it go?"

"Fine. I just gave them a very basic overview of our technical architecture." Karim answered.

"Do you think they'll find the flaws?"

"Depends. Maybe if they dig hard enough." Karim replied.

"Listen, I don't want them finding something and running back to Kate with it. That's surely going to delay our release. You know how inflexible she is when it comes to regulatory issues. Feel free to send them on a wild goose chase."

"Already have. Shifman's in there with them now."

The other man chuckled.

"Good thinking. The guy will talk their ear off and confuse the hell out of 'em."

Chloe heard the man's footsteps walk away and was about to resume walking when she heard Karim's voice again. This time it sounded like he was on his cell phone talking to someone else. She could only make out one side of the conversation.

"Yes. There are two of them here from BXJ."

"I understand. I doubt they'll be able to put two and two together since they don't know the industry."

" Are we all set for tomorrow?

"Good. I need her out of the way to make this happen."

* * *

Nadia could feel all eyes on her as she and Mike entered CTU. She had hoped to arrive much earlier to avoid all this scrutiny, but they had to take a longer more secure route to get there. Mike looked around and marveled at how similar the two CTU's were--the grey concrete walls, the floating stairs leading to the frosted glass offices, the dimly lit but open bullpen--it was like he had never left LA. 

They bumped into Tom Baker and Nadia asked him to come up with them to her office. It didn't take long for the rumor mill to start grinding.

_Who's this new guy with Nadia?  
His name is Mike Doyle and he heads up Field Ops in L__A__.  
Supposedly flew all the way here just to spend the weekend with her.  
Maybe she's bringing him in to replace Baker as head of Field Ops.  
What's up with the boss-lady wearing a long sleeve turtleneck at the tail end of summer?  
Who knows, bad case of hives … or hickeys._

"Tom, I believe you've met Mike Doyle. He heads up Field Ops in LA."

Both men eyed each other warily and nodded briefly.

"He's here for the week purely on an observation basis. Can you set him up in one of the Field Ops stations."

Baker gave them a puzzled look but merely nodded again.

"Come with me." He said to Mike.

As they climbed down the stairs, Mike tapped Baker on the shoulder.

"Listen, I know you're not exactly thrilled about this, but the only reason I'm here is because of what's happening with Nadia." Mike explained. "I'll try not to get in your way."

"Fair enough." Baker brought him to an empty station. "You can park yourself here while I set up your access."

" Agent Baker." Mike said. "Thanks again for staking out her apartment over the weekend."

"Sure. No problem." Baker responded with a small smile and a tap back at Mike's arm. "You're all set."

* * *

One of the analysts dashed up the stairs and barged into Nadia's office. Mike looked up from his station, suddenly alert, his hand automatically going to his gun. 

"Ms. Yassir, we're getting some clear chatter on comms. Tune in to channel bravo for a playback." He barely got the words out as he was panting over her desk.

Nadia put her headset on and listened attentively.

"Their target clearly has something to do with the financial industry… some kind of event…" the young man further added, his breathing starting getting back to normal.

Nadia looked up at him wide eyed, her mind only just comprehending the gravity of the situation.

"Oh God. It's tomorrow. Do a cross-check against the news."

"I did that and came up with a probability matrix of possible targets." He replied and handed her his report. "On top of the list is the FIA fundraiser at the Waldorf."

"Good job. Thanks, John." Before he even left her office, her fingers were already pressing buttons on her intercom in a staccato fashion. "Marcy, get me the mayor's office. Tom, come over please. Bring Doyle along too."

The three of them sat in her office waiting for the call to come through.

"Nadia, I have the mayor's chief of staff on line 2."

"Bob, we just got intel that the FIA fundraiser tomorrow is being targeted by a terrorist cell. Is there any way we can cancel the event?" She said urgently.

"How accurate is the intel?" He asked.

"60 confidence level." She said firmly.

"That's not good enough reason to cancel. It would cause a panic in the financial markets." He countered, sounding quite concerned. "It's been volatile enough the past few days because of the sub-prime crisis. Can you just deploy teams to make sure the event is secure?"

"Of course. They'll be there beforehand to do a thorough check of the building. We'll get NYPD to set up a perimeter and have another team onsite during the event itself." She assured him.

"The team onsite will need to be discreet. Make sure they blend in, otherwise, the guests will be skittish." He instructed then paused. "One more thing, Nadia, we want you to personally be there to oversee this."

Nadia caught her breath, a little surprised at the request.

"Yes, sir. I'll be there."

Nadia looked up at the two men who up to this time had not said a word.

"Well, gentlemen, looks like you get to trade your Kevlar jackets for a tux tomorrow."

* * *

**Next Chapter: Fun at the fundraiser. Everyone's back.**

**A****/N – More fluff? Less fluff? More plot? Less plot? Let me know how to go… ****A****lso, I'll be going for a holiday in November, so I probably won't be able to update until December. Hope you guys can wait a little. I had planned to finish this before Season 7 premieres in January, but that's looking mighty slim…**


	8. Lightning Does Strike Twice

**A****/N – Ok. i haven't abandoned this fic and i really apologize ****for taking so long. i've been trying to find time to write since i got back from vacation, but it was a bit hard to do with the holidays. Am so out of practice but hope you all like it.**

**Disclaimer: Characters are owned by 24**

Lightning Does Strike Twice

Nadia examined herself in the mirror and self-consciously tugged at the opening of her blouse. It was a futile attempt. The sleeveless wrap around silk top slyly gaped open, flashing a little cleavage every now and then. If this were just a date with Mike, she would have thought nothing of it, but this was a covert operation with a team of field ops personnel. Unfortunately, with barely a day's notice, she hadn't had time to shop for a more suitable attire.

_Why do the men have it so easy? _She grimaced as she applied a final layer of cranberry lipstick. Her assistant had checked their files for sizes and arranged tux rentals to be delivered right on the premises. She glanced at her watch. The first team should have finished checking the site by now and the second team was due to arrive any moment.

After strapping on a pair of three and a half inch stilettos, Nadia left the ladies room and traversed the hallway leading to the field ops locker room. There should be at least one more occupant in there. He had insisted on riding with her to the fund-raiser; after all, keeping her safe was the only reason he was still in New York. She smiled as she heard a string of expletives echoing through the hall._ Yep, Doyle was in there all right._

She stood by the doorway in silence and watched him struggle with his bowtie. He had his back towards her, and she couldn't help admiring his form even though she knew there was a bulletproof vest that added a little bulk underneath the white pintuck shirt. _I knew he'd clean up well._

Sensing another's presence in the room, Doyle slowly turned around and stared at the petite figure leaning against the doorway watching him with much amusement. All of a sudden his fingers stopped fiddling with his bowtie and his hands fell to his side. As his eyes traveled up and down her body, there was a glint in them that was hard to read - a mix of appreciation and dismay.

_Why do I feel like I just got hit by a ton of bricks? It's not like i didn't know she would be this stunning dressed up. Hell, she makes my knees go weak in a business suit. But is she really wearing that tonight? She's gonna be a distraction for the Field Ops team. _

She saw his eyes linger dubiously on the neckline of her blouse.

"Well, are you done checking me out?" she teased.

"You look very nice, but..."

He turned a little red and looked away, a little embarrassed. Nadia found it endearing that he could still feel self-conscious with her even though they were already together. She walked up to him, took the offending bowtie from his hands, wrapped it around his neck, and adjusted it so it rested crisply against his white shirt. As she felt hands on her hips pulling her closer, she placed her palms flat on his chest and pushed him away gently. She shook her head and smiled regretfully even though her eyes twinkled with mischief.

"We'd better go. The men will be expecting us."

* * *

Bill absently gazed up at the fourty four foot ceiling with ornate mouldings as he waited in line for a drink. The ballroom at the Waldorf resembled a grand European opera house, with balconies lining the top half of the walls on three sides. He imagined it had seen its share of magnificent parties hosted by captains of industry of various eras. He turned his attention back to the people in the room as he heard a familiar laugh rise above the din. He watched his wife as she made her way through the crowd, stopping every now and then to greet colleagues and clients. Karen was a consummate networker. She knew everybody. Fortunately for BXJ, she was able to parlay her political connections into a growing network of business contacts. He looked with interest as she hugged a tall blonde dressed elegantly in a pale blue gown. 

"Kate! How lovely to see you here. Come, you must meet my husband."

Bill smiled as he saw Karen heading towards him, beautiful blonde in tow.

"Bill, this is Kate Warner. Her father Bob is CEO of Warner Enterprises and is also a very good friend of mine. Kate, this is my husband, Bill Buchanan."

"Pleased to meet you, Bill." Kate smiled.

"Pleasure is mine." Bill responded in kind. She had a very gracious smile and he immediately warmed up to her.

"So, how is your father? I haven't spoken with him in ages." She turned to Bill to explain, "Bob and I go way back. My department used to issue the DOD clearances for his company."

"He's fine. He'll be visiting me soon. Can't stay away from his grandchildren for too long, you know." Kate turned to Bill and said, "I heard from Karen that you used to work for the government too."

"Yes. Until recently, I was Director of CTU LA."

"Oh." She paused for a moment, a slight furrow appeared between her brows. "I used to know someone who headed up Field Ops there." She said with a tinge of sadness.

"Speaking of BXJ, here comes our CEO now." Karen waved Jack over.

Jack made his way towards them, but stopped short at the sight of Kate. He instinctively took a step back as his eyes surveyed his options for escape; however, good manners prevailed. He mustered a strained smile and continued walking towards them.

Kate, on the other hand, froze and turned white as a sheet. Suddenly, it became an effort to maintain the smile she had on. _He's alive._

"How are you, Kate? You look well." It was an understatement. She looked beautiful. She didn't seem to have aged since they last saw each other. Her pale blonde hair was loose around her shoulders. She wore a simply cut pale blue gown with thin beaded straps. Her only accessory was a pair of chandelier diamond earrings that shimmered as they caught the light.

"I'm fine, Jack. How have you been?" She regained her composure and gave him a faint smile. Jack had aged noticeably since she last saw him. His face was more angular and he seemed to be perpetually on edge. The only thing that remained the same was the soft velvety voice.

"You two know each other?" Bill asked.

"Yes, we met at CTU a few years back." Kate offered before Jack could reply.

"I didn't know you moved to New York." Jack said, desperately trying to think of neutral conversation.

"I came here a few years ago to work at an investment bank on Wall Street. I'm now co-CEO at Solera. " Kate replied.

Karen sensed the tension between the two and tried to ease it with small talk. Kate discreetly scanned the rest of the room for a good excuse to escape her present company.

"I'm sorry. You'll all have to excuse me. I see my husband waving to me from across the room." Kate turned to each of them and said, "Karen, it was great to see you. We should do lunch sometime. Bill, it was a pleasure to meet you. Jack, I'm glad you're well. I'll see you around."

* * *

Doyle & Nadia were at their designated stations, instinctively making a sweep of the room every now and then when a familiar voice chirped behind them. 

"Hey you two...what are you both doing here?"

Both turned around to see Chloe waddling towards them, adeptly avoiding a collision with a waiter holding a tray full of champagne glasses. Morris, holding a glass of sparkling water on one hand, was not far behind her.

"We're here on business, I'm afraid." Nadia said quietly, knowing that Chloe would immediately understand what she meant.

"Oh..."

"Who was that woman with Karen, Bill and Jack?" Doyle interrupted curiously.

Chloe turned her head in the direction that Doyle was looking at and saw a blonde woman walking away from them.

"Oh my God! It's Kate Warner." Chloe swore under her breath. _Tonight is gonna be really interesting_.

"Who?" Nadia turned around to look at the woman that caught Doyle's interest.

"Jack dated her before he met Audrey."

"Jack left her for Audrey? " Mike said incredulously. The woman was stunning. He later realized it was unfair of him to compare the two, given Audrey's state when he first met her.

"No. He met Audrey way after he and Kate broke up."

"Why did they break up?" the ever-nosy Morris asked.

"He had a drug problem."

"WHAT?!" The three of them all turned to look at Chloe like she had two heads.

"Will you guys chill? He got it while he went undercover penetrating a drug ring in Mexico." Chloe mumbled in his defense. She realized that she had said way too much.

* * *

Kate closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall. One hand was massaging the spot between her eyes while the other was on her side holding a piece of paper handed to her by a passing waiter. 

_Meet me by the third balcony on the east wall. I want to talk. Jack. _

_How could this be a good thing? _She was still in shock at seeing Jack alive, especially since she had gone to his funeral a few years back. At the time, she still had not gotten over him, but the finality of his death was eventually what allowed her to move on.

She took a deep breath before turning around and peering hesitantly through the curtain. A lone figure was standing on the small balcony looking down at the crowd. He turned around when he sensed that he was not alone. For a moment, each one just stood where they were, waiting for the other to make the first move.

_What was it about him that always seemed to fill a room? Jack was not a particularly large man, but he had a certain, what was the word, ... presence. And those eyes. Intense and probing one minute, soft and compassionate the next. _

"Kate." He slowly took a step towards her, a hesitant half smile on his face. "I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable earlier this evening."

Kate snapped out of her reverie and met him halfway until they were face to face.

"No, it's not your fault. I just ... didn't expect to see you anymore." At his puzzled look, she continued. "I was at your funeral a few years ago."

"How did you find out?" His face registered surprise.

"Kim told me. We stayed in touch even after you and I broke up."

"Do you still talk to her?"

"No. The last time I did was shortly before I moved to New York. How is she?"

"I don't know. I haven't spoken to her in years. She doesn't want to have anything to do with me anymore." Although his face did not show any emotion, Kate detected a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"She found out you were alive, didn't she?" Kate shook her head and chided him gently. "Was this another covert operation, Jack? How could you do that to her?"

"I had no choice, Kate. Certain factions at the White House wanted me dead. Tony, Michelle and Chloe helped me escape and stay under the radar for a while. Unfortunately, that meant no contact with Kim."

"She was beside herself with grief. She would come to my house often to talk." There was no need to mention that Kim helped her get over his death too.

"Thanks for being there for her, Kate." He said sincerely, but not without a tinge of sadness.

"Don't mention it. How are Tony and Michelle?" She had fond memories of the couple. She and Jack had attended their wedding. At least they ended up together, she thought wryly.

"They're dead." He said simply, looking away briefly.

"Oh my God … I'm so sorry, Jack." She closed her eyes and involuntarily shivered at the thought. It did not go unnoticed.

"You're cold. Here, wear this around you." He removed his jacket and put it around her shoulder. Kate may have been out of his thoughts for a while, but he remembered how her gentleness always brought out the protective side of him.

The gesture seemed to break the ice between them now. Memories of their first meeting flooded back to her. Kate had always appreciated that about him. Regardless of what he did for a living, he had always been such a gentleman towards her.

Jack returned to his perch, leaning on the intricately carved wrought iron railings and watching small herds of people as they fluidly weaved their way around the huge room. Kate followed his lead, and set her hands delicately down on the railings.

"How are you, Kate? Really."

She didn't have to look at him to know he was smiling now.

"Are you happy with Todd?"

"How did you know his name?" She didn't recall mentioning her husband. She turned around with a quizzical expression on her face, her back now resting on the railing.

"I read your wedding announcement ..."

Before Jack could finish his sentence, he felt the railing wobble and give way.

"Jack!" A startled Kate Warner screamed as she lost her footing and slid off the balcony. Jack's arm instantly shot out and reached for her hand. One hand desperately searched for something solid to hang on to for leverage while the other tried to pull her up.

"Kate! Hang on..."

* * *

**A****/N – Happy New Year everyone...remember to leave a review!**


	9. Three Little Words

**A/N: Thank you for your reviews. Hope I can maintain this pace of updates. For those mindful of ratings, the last segment is rated R. **

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to 24**

Three Little Words

A large crowd had gathered below the third balcony. Everyone was looking up, their faces reflecting a mix of apprehension and dismay as they watched the terrified blonde dangling in mid-air, one arm flailing about while the other resolutely hung on to the man's forearm for dear life. A collective groan echoed through the ballroom as the tux jacket slipped from her shoulders and glided down twenty feet below.

Nadia was barking out orders rapidly on her earpiece. She nodded and gave a thumbs up to Mike as he pointed upwards, signaling that he was going upstairs to help Jack. She watched him dash up the steps two at a time and prayed he would be in time.

"No. Doyle's just headed upstairs to help Jack. We need some of your men down here with a trampoline or something now! It doesn't look like she can hang on much longer..." Nadia glanced up at the lone figure suspended off the balcony and felt a shiver down her spine. Thank God it wasn't herself up there. She was extremely scared of heights.

Doyle pulled back the velvet curtain at the entrance of the balcony, nearly ripping the thing off. He found Jack kneeling on the edge digging in his heels as he desperately tried not to fall over.

"Kate! Stop fidgeting. You're making it harder for me to hang on." Jack yelled, grimacing as he tensed the arm holding Kate.

Doyle looked around and quickly unfastened one of the silk tie-backs. After securing one end to the hook on the wall, he tossed the other end to Jack.

"Jack! Grab that."

Jack yanked the cord, looped it around his wrist and pulled.

"Ms. Warner, hang on!" Doyle shouted when he saw the wide eyed look of terror on Kate's face as she felt herself going up and down like a yoyo. He knelt down beside Jack and extended his hand downwards. Kate reached for it and felt her limp body slide upwards against the cold cement. Her arms felt sore since they were almost pulled out of their sockets.

By this time, Kate's husband, Todd, had also scampered up the balcony looking extremely worried.

"What the hell happened?" He was a little shocked to see his wife sprawled face down on the floor, breathing heavily while she tried to regain the strength to stand up. He knelt beside her and put his arm around her protectively.

"Kate, are you ok?" Todd whispered.

A shaken Kate ignored the question. She rolled to one side and propped herself up into a sitting position. Her face was clearly relieved at the sight of her husband.

"Honey, what were you doing up here?" Todd asked, not without some concern.

"I was just talking to Jack." Kate replied a little defensively as she stood up and dusted off the carpet lint from her gown. "Todd. Meet Jack Bauer."

While the two men exchanged handshakes and sized each other up, Doyle examined the area where the railings were attached to the wall.

"Is everyone ok?" a low throaty voice from behind them asked. All four looked at Nadia as she entered the balcony. "I'm Nadia Yassir, Director of CTU New York. Ms. Warner, are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Kate responded shakily. _CTU New York? What was going on?_

"Nadia, you have to come and see this." Doyle called her over and pointed out. "There are no cracks around the wall that suggest material failure. These railings were loosened on purpose."

Nadia nodded in agreement, then turned around to Kate and Jack.

"Ms. Warner, Jack, how is it that both of you were at this particular balcony?"

"A waiter handed me a note from Jack asking me to meet him here." Kate replied. There was a slight flush on her face as she admitted this in front of her husband. Even though it really was innocent enough, the whole situation smacked of an illicit rendezvous.

Jack's eyes widened at her statement.

"I never wrote anything!" His voice rasped. "In fact, someone gave this to me as well." He searched his pocket for a piece of paper and handed it to Nadia. It was a handwritten note from Kate asking him to meet her up here.

Kate looked in shock as she realized they were set up.

"Ms. Warner, do you still have your note?" Nadia asked.

"I slipped it into the jacket. It's probably somewhere down there now." Kate looked in the direction beyond the balcony and shivered involuntarily.

Nadia called out to one of her men to retrieve the jacket and the note. They responded back affirming possession of it.

"The question is which one of you was the real target?" Doyle said in a matter-of-fact manner even though he was looking directly at Jack. His money was on the man; after all, why would anyone want the sweet-looking Ms. Warner dead.

"We'll get CTU to run a handwriting analysis of the notes. I know this has been a long evening but I'll need to bring both of you in for debriefing."

"Ms. Yassir. I don't think Kate's up for this tonight. Can't we do this tomorrow?" Todd protested.

"Nadia, why is CTU involved in this? Shouldn't the police take care of this?" Jack added.

"I'm sorry. This may be part of a larger operation. We need to get your statements tonight." The look she gave them spoke volumes and neither man dared complain after that. Turning to Kate, she added more sympathetically, "Ms Warner, it would really help us if you could come with us tonight."

"Ok." Kate nodded and managed a weak smile.

On the way down, Nadia pulled Mike aside with a worried look.

"Do you think this is really related to all the fundraiser chatter we heard yesterday?"

"I don't know. It seems very targeted. Not at all the high casualty count we were expecting." Mike replied.

"I know. We combed this place for bombs and explosives. Who would've thought they'd resort to something so old-fashioned and low tech."

* * *

A frustrated Nadia stormed into the apartment and slammed her evening clutch on the console. Mike followed her in and calmly closed the door behind him. 

"I can't believe we got nothing!" She ranted. "The nerve of that Todd Douglas, insisting that his wife lawyer-up before answering any more questions. She's not even a suspect. We were only asking about her company. How ludicrous is that!!!" She exhaled deeply and closed her eyes, trying to find some zen. _Serenity now, Nadia._

Mike rubbed the back of his neck wearily, not really sure what to do nor why she was so agitated._ It's not like we're racing to find a bomb out there. God. I guess I should be thankful she's not mad at me for once._

He shook his head ruefully. The evening started out promising enough. Back in the locker room, Nadia had looked so damned hot in her low cut blouse that he wanted to rip it right off her back. Were it not for the cameras all over the place, he probably would have gotten away with it, too. At least her mood then was teasing and playful...

_Chuck that thought out the window now, Mike. There's no way you're getting lucky tonight. She's clearly not in the mood. Come to think of it, when she's in this state, neither are you. Lord, is this how it's gonna be from now on? _

"We'll deal with it tomorrow morning. I'm going to get some sleep." he said grumpily, resigned to another night of abstinence. With that, he turned his back on her and headed towards the shower. No comforting words. No reassuring hug. None of the stuff that men typically do to pacify their upset women. Sensitive men, that is, of which he was not.

Funny enough, that calmed Nadia down in a way that all those stuff sensitive men do could never have. She felt her anger subside as she stared at the figure walking away from her. He had been quite distant the past few days, but she must have been too preoccupied to notice--till now. Come to think of it, aside from the little incident today in the locker room, he hadn't touched her since the night he asked her about Milo.

_That's unusual. He usually can't keep his hands off me._

True. It was always on some part of her body when they were alone. Resting on the small of her back while they were walking. Squeezing her hand underneath the table while they were out to dinner. Rubbing her knee while they were sitting on the couch reading the paper. Scratching an itch on her back while they were in the shower.

* * *

_A__t what point in a relationship does one start to blend in with the furniture?_

Nadia thought as she measured out a length of of floss before inserting it gingerly between her teeth.

_Surely, we can't be at that point yet. We've only just made up this weekend._

This time rubbing the toothbrush up and down her teeth and all over her tongue.

_True. Make-up sex is all it's made out to be, but what about the one after that?  
_

Now splashing off the cleanser on her face with water.

_Is it just downhill from there?_

Then counting the strokes as she brushed her hair._  
_

_Well, there's only one way to find out... _

Finally dabbing a touch of blue agave and cacao cologne on the spot behind her ears.

The door creaked open as she entered. The room was dark and still, save for the tiny stream of light coming from her bedside lamp. Even though he couldn't sleep unless it was pitch black, Mike usually left it on knowing that she liked to read late into the night. He simply pulled the covers over his head, hence the rather large lump on the bed covered entirely by the white sheet.

Nadia carefully slipped underneath the covers and turned off the lamp. She wouldn't be doing any reading tonight.

* * *

Mike was in a state somewhere between consciousness and REM. Scientists called it slow-wave sleep; in layman's terms, a light sleep from which one can easily be awakened. (A/N: this was observed in cats) 

He jerked involuntarily as he felt something moist flick against his ear. He wanted to swat it away but he couldn't seem to find his hands. _There it was again. _

This was followed by a cascade of hair swishing around his face, driving him crazy. Again, his arms seemed to have disappeared. All he could do was turn his head from side to side to brush the annoying strands away. _Ow. That tickles. _

Musky chocolate fragrance filled his nostrils as he inhaled. It was faint ... but familiar. Like a bee trained to navigate by scent, he turned his head in the direction of its source. He didn't have to search far. She was right on top of him, her weight pinning him down on the bed.

He tried to roll over and regain the dominant position, but her hands were splayed out on his chest, firmly keeping him in place.

And then more attacks followed.

A nip on his earlobe.

A kiss on his lips.

A stroke of his thigh.

Her mouth was delicate and deliberate. His had always been rough and urgent. This was payback. Tit for tat.

"Nadia..."

Was that his voice? It sounded small and squeaky, like he was begging.

Mike Doyle never begged. And he never let anyone else control the pace either.

Till now.

He could vaguely make out her figure against the darkness. It looked like her spine was arched and her head was thrown back. Her eyes were closed, her mouth half open. He found his hands at last. They were on either side of her hips, hanging on for the ride, gripping them so tightly that he was afraid he'd crush her hipbones. Her hands covered his, squeezing them hard, nails biting into his palms. _This was unbearable...when would it stop?_

And then it stopped. Both their hands went limp.

Mike caught Nadia's shoulders as she slumped towards him. His hands pushed away the sweat soaked strands of hair from her face while his head leaned forward to kiss her forehead.

"I love you." There, it was said. Slightly below a whisper, but said out loud none-the-less.

They fell asleep with his arms wrapped around her body. It was a very deep sleep. A REM-state sleep.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Which one said it and which one didn't say it back ? A realization... **

**A/N: Please don't forget to review. **


	10. Better Left Unsaid

**A/N: ****PJC, this is my version of morning after syndrome - bring out the violins ;) **

**Maverick/Dr Alice: Don't worry, it gets less sappy as you read on...plot stuff's at the bottom. **

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to 24**

Better Left Unsaid

Sometimes it was just better to shut up.

_Did I really say that out loud? _

Shame twisted the knot in her stomach a little tighter.

She hadn't planned to blurt it out just like that. Well, it's not like he didn't know. She was sure her feelings for him were pretty transparent. And his were as well.

Even though she had always hoped he would say it first, she knew it would take some time. She could tell that he sometimes still struggled with the thought of being part of a couple. Once in a while, she'd catch him reverting back to saying "I" instead of "we".

She couldn't really blame him. After all, not counting the months apart, they'd only been seeing each other for about eight weeks and a weekend.

_He needs more time. I ruined it by jumping the gun. _

How pathetic, here she was making excuses for him.

She glanced at his side of the bed. It was empty. _No surprise there. I've probably scared him off.  
_

Feeling cold and alone, she hugged her knees tighter to her chest and rested one side of her face on them.

Mike returned with a glass of water, treading carefully so as not to wake her. He was surprised to see her sitting up already awake. Setting the glass down on her bedside table, he sat on the edge of the bed and leaned forward to kiss her. She turned her face away and his mouth landed on her hair.

"I didn't think you'd be up yet, but I got you some water. After last night, I was so thirsty I already drank a whole glass." He said, making a light tasteless joke.

He felt rather than heard her response. Her body stiffened and shrank away from him. When he tried to cup her face, his hands encountered cold moist cheeks. His fingers followed the droplets streaking down them like drizzle on a windshield.

It didn't take him two guesses to know why.

_Doyle. You are such a caveman._

"Nadia..." He tried to put his arms around her body, now shuddering uncontrollably, but she shrugged them off.

"Don't...Mike." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. Finally, she raised her face to look at him, managing a weak smile. "Let's just forget I said anything. I know you're not ready yet."

"No..." _that's not true. _

"Please. Don't say anything you won't mean." She whispered in a small voice, cutting him off.

"Shh, Nadia. I promise I won't." Mike hugged her tightly, not taking no for an answer, just rocking her back and forth. Nadia lay passively in his arms, not fighting him, but not responding either. She unwrapped his arms slowly, got out of the bed and left the room.

Mike sat on the bed, elbows on knees, both hands covering his face. Of all her moods, this was the one he wasn't prepared to cope with. Arguing and yelling he could take and sometimes even enjoyed, but he had no defenses for this wounded and defeated Nadia. Especially since it was all his fault.

_Even if you had said it just now, there's no way she would have believed you._

* * *

Nadia, Mike and Baker were in her office reviewing Kate Warner's half-finished statement from the previous evening. Mike sat back on the couch, casually observing the woman in front of him, tuning out the words as she spoke. 

Hair, neat and pulled back. Face, light makeup with no signs of puffiness. Dress, the usual business-like pant suit and white blouse. Voice, low and well modulated, no trace of this morning's emotional upheaval.

_She hides her feelings well.  
_

To the untrained eye, everything about her was normal, but Mike's seventeen years of interrogation training served him well. He could read all the tell-tale signs that others overlooked.

When she glanced in his direction, she looked right through him instead of at him. When he spoke, her arms crossed around herself protectively and her body sank deeper into her chair. The entire time, her body and feet pointed away from him.

_She can't stand the sight of you just now. _

Their discussion was interrupted by a knock on the door. Her staff handed the results of the cross check between Kate Warner and all the chatter they had intercepted over the past week.

Nadia skimmed over it quickly, her eyes widening as she read further down.

_Of course! How could I have been so dense. _

"What is it?" Baker asked, intrigued. Nadia leaned over and passed the sheaf of papers to him.

"A week ago there was all this chatter on the backchannels about 'shams', which in Arabic ..."

"...means the the sun." Mike finished off.

"Shams. Sun. Sol. Solera. Something's going on at Solera. They weren't after Jack, Mike. They were after Kate." She said seriously.

"Why?" Baker asked.

"I don't know how she's involved. Hopefully we can get more information when they get here."

* * *

Nadia entered Holding C with two red shirt guards following behind her. Kate and her husband were seated on one side of the table and their lawyer was right across. After the greetings and introductions, she delved right into the investigation. 

"Ms. Warner. We have new information regarding last night's incident. We have reason to believe your firm is being targeted by terrorist activity."

"That's ridiculous!" Todd Douglas sprang up and leaned forward on the table, an expression of disbelief on his face.

"Please let me finish." Nadia gave him a look that could have frozen hell. Upon seeing the red shirt guards place their hands on their holsters, he backed down into his seat unwillingly. "We ran some risk assessments on your firm's activities. The highest probability scenario would be terrorists hacking into your systems, sending a flood of sell orders causing the market to go into tailspin."

"There are program trading circuit breakers in place at our exchanges to make sure that doesn't happen." Todd interjected.

"You're making this assumption based on normal conditions." Nadia countered. "What if the circuit breakers are tampered with. We can't rule out that possibility."

"I have a team from BXJ looking into our security protocols to prevent something like that from happening. It's part of our certification process." Kate stated, her tone soft and neutral. At Nadia's blank look, she continued. "Every year we conduct a security review so we can stay in business."

"They have some really exceptional people at BXJ." Nadia nodded in approval. Chloe and Morris had already told her last night they were working with Solera. "But are you actively involved?"

_What was the connection to Kate? _

"Oh absolutely. I review their recommendations and make sure our technology staff implements them."

_Bingo. That's why they want her out of the way.  
_

"I'd like to work together with the BXJ team to get what we need." Nadia added.

"Wait a minute. Those protocols are proprietary..." Todd objected.

"Mr. Douglas, this is a matter of national security." Nadia said, enunciating each word through gritted teeth. "I suggest you give us your full cooperation. We can get the President to issue a special order, if you like." She looked at him pointedly while issuing the veiled threat.

"Don't worry, Ms. Yassir, you'll have access to anything you need. I'll notify the BXJ team as well as our CTO." Kate said in a conciliatory tone, not wishing this to blow up into a full scale shouting match between her husband and the CTU director. _Todd really needs to brush up on his people skills. He can't always be acting like a brash hot-headed trader, especially not with these government types._

"Thank you, Ms Warner." Nadia's voice softened. "If you don't mind, with the exception of the BXJ team, I'd rather keep everyone else on a need-to-know basis. You can use your existing project as a cover while we get more information."

"Can we go now? I really need to be back before the market opens." Todd asked impatiently.

"You and your lawyer can go now, Mr. Douglas, but I'd like Ms. Warner to stay here. Given the attempt on her life last night, she'll be much better off at CTU." Turning to Kate, she said "It will also be safer for the team to work here instead. We can set them up with temporary stations and they can log in to your firm's systems remotely."

"Ms Yassir, I'll need a station of my own as well. I usually watch the markets during the day." Kate requested.

"No problem. We actually have some Bloomberg terminals on site. We're probably the only CTU with them." Nadia's mouth broke into a small smile. "Courtesy of the mayor, of course."

"_Shukran,_ Ms. Yassir." Kate offered.

Nadia was a little taken aback but her smile widened. _Of course, Kate's files did mention she was fluent in Arabic._

"You're welcome. Please call me Nadia."

"Please call me Kate."

* * *

As Nadia passed the bullpen on her way back to her office, one of the analysts called out to her. 

"Ms. Yassir, call for you on Line 1."

"I'll take it in my office."

She hurried up the steps into her glass office and switched on her earpiece.

"This is Nadia." 

"Nadia. It's Daniel." a gruff male voice was on the other line. "Long time no speak."

Nadia's face turned pale, and her eyes grew large as saucers. His voice came and went in spurts. She paced back and forth her office as she pressed the earpiece closer, trying to make out what he was saying despite the static. Wherever he was calling from, the reception was clearly bad.

"What time and where?"

"I'll be there."

* * *

**Next Chapter: Someone from Nadia's past returns. Almost everyone's back again at CTU. Now the fun really starts.. **


	11. Skeletons In Her Closet

**A/N: Nadia's backstory moves the plot along. The last segment gets a little tricky because there are two conversations going on -- like split screens on 24. Hope it's not too confusing :)**

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to 24**

Skeletons in Her Closet

Mike returned from his coffee run to find Agent Baker leaning on his desk waiting for him. His brows were knit tight and his fingers were drumming on the edge of the table as if he was unsure of what to do next. This was a new side to the man usually so calm and collected that Mike wondered how he ever ended up in Field Ops.

"You look a little upset, Tom. What happened?" Mike asked casually.

Baker hesitated for a moment then decided to confide in a possible ally.

"Mike, you've got to talk some sense into her. I have a bad feeling about this."

"What do you mean?" Mike asked, curious now.

Baker looked at him oddly. There was something strange going on between the two. He sensed it in this morning's meeting.

"She hasn't told you?"

"Told me what?" Mike said, starting to get a little annoyed himself.

"She's going off to meet an old colleague in an hour. Some guy she worked with on an undercover assignment in Detroit." He explained. "Apparently, he has some info on Solera."

Mike's irritation grew. _Why do I have to find out about this from Baker?_

"How does she know his info's legit?"

Baker shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.

"Who's backing her up?"

"No one. She won't listen to me. Just told me to take care of the place while she's gone." Baker paused for a moment as if he was about to say something awkward. "Mike, I don't want to speak out of turn, but I think you should go with her."

"Where is she now?" Mike asked softly. He was seething inside. He couldn't believe she'd go through this alone and put herself at risk due to some misguided sense of pride.

"Women's locker room."

* * *

Nadia tightened the velcro straps on her bulletproof vest and wrapped a holster around her waist. She hadn't done this sort of thing in a long time, but so far everything was coming back. _It's like riding a bicycle, Nadia._ She reassured herself. _Besides, it's not like you're going off to meet a hostile._

She held up the CTU standard issue jacket in front of her. It wasn't exactly the most flattering cut, but it should still fit. She hadn't gained that much weight over the years. She was in the middle of putting it on when she heard the sound of the outer door banging on the wall.

Nadia shivered as she felt a sudden draft of air and a pair of eyes boring a hole on her back. Turning around, she saw a furious Doyle standing in the doorway of the women's locker room.

"Hey! You can't just barge in here." Nadia yelled. It was a good thing she was alone; otherwise, it would have made for embarrassing situations, not to mention lawsuits.

She saw his eyes glance at the discarded suit jacket and shirt before they settled on her in full body armor. From the look on his face, it was obvious that the tender and contrite lover from this morning was just a memory now.

"What are you doing?" He marched over and grabbed her arm.

"Isn't it obvious?" She shrugged his arm off and placed her own inside the remaining sleeve of the jacket.

"We had an agreement about why I'm still here. Why didn't you tell me?" His eyes narrowed to their trademark slits, and his voice was tight with anger.

"Because." She glared at him. "I didn't want to be told again that this was a stupid idea." She reached into her locker for her old Glock, loading it with a fresh magazine and tapping its base on her palm until it clicked into place.

Mike ignored her display of proficiency. Just because she knew how to load a gun didn't mean she could use it.

"Who is he?" He said in a voice typically used for interrogations.

"Baker must have already told you." She responded flippantly. She knew his question really was "what does he mean to you?". He probably assumed it was a former lover. Perversely, she enjoyed letting him stew in that thought for a while.

Mike's mouth tightened into a thin line at her evasive answer.

"What info does he have on Solera?" He continued with the third degree.

"Details on what, when, how." Nadia slipped the pistol firmly into its holster.

"How do you know it's not a trap?" Mike challenged. He didn't know what ticked him off more -- Nadia not telling him who the guy was or her ignoring him while he spoke. _Honestly, the woman could be so emasculating._

"What is this? Twenty questions?" Finally, she looked him in the eye, extremely annoyed. "Stop stalling me!" She tried to push him to one side, but he firmly stood his ground and blocked her exit.

"No way you're going alone." He said harshly. "I'm coming with you."

"Fine. Just stay out of my way." She said coldly, jabbing a finger at his chest.

That was a mistake.

His hand reached for her arm and yanked her roughly against him. He was squeezing so tight that he almost cut off her circulation. The flecks of flint in his eyes warned her not to test him further.

"Mike! You're hurting me." She cried out.

He loosened his grip although she could feel the anger emanating from his body at various touch points. Her breath quickened as he lowered his head, his face stopping within inches of hers. She could feel his breath on her mouth, and her lips parted in some sort of pavlovian response. They had come together like this so many times that she could tell with 99.9 certainty what would follow.

His next words sent her crashing back to earth.

"Shut up and wear this." He whispered hoarsely, dangling a wiretap in front of her with his other hand.

When she hesitated, he cocked his head to one side and smirked.

"Do you want me to put it on you?" His voice was deceptively soft but dripping with ice, as if he was warning her that the last thing she'd want right now was him touching her. He would not be gentle.

She stuck out her lower lip and eyed him reproachfully. When she snatched the wire from his hand, he let go of her arm. Reluctantly, she fastened the unit behind her back and threaded the wire inside her jacket, clipping the little microphone on the strap of her vest.

"Don't forget this." He held out something in his palm.

She took the tiny receiver from his hand and placed it in her ear.

"All right. Let's go." His hand resumed its place on her arm, not so tightly this time, as he shepherded her towards the door.

* * *

As soon as Chloe and Morris arrived at CTU, Baker rushed them in so that they could meet with Nadia and Doyle to map out a plan before the two left for their mission. Afterwards, he showed them to their respective stations. 

"Everything's in the same place." he smiled. "These are your temporary clearances. You should be all set."

When he was out of earshot, Chloe leaned towards Morris and whispered. "Isn't it creepy that all CTU's look alike? Right down to the cement walls, glass offices, and bad lighting?"

"They do that for a reason, dahling." Morris whispered back, as if he was letting her in on a secret. "CTU moves their people around so much, they need to make the environment look the same so they're not disoriented. Better productivity, you know."

"You just made that up." Chloe threw him a look of disbelief. "Since when did you become a psychologist?"

"Hey. I watch Dr. Phil." Morris said indignantly, his eyebrows arched.

As she logged in and set up her workstation, Chloe realized he was right. She did feel at-ease. It was like she had never left.

* * *

Jack arrived a half hour later. Upon seeing his old colleague, Baker walked up to him and greeted him with a tap on the shoulder and a handshake. He then led Jack to one of the holding rooms so they could finish processing his statement. 

On his way out, Jack spotted Kate behind one of the terminals and made a beeline for her.

"How are you feeling, Kate?" He smiled at her gently, happy that she looked none the worse for wear despite last night's harrowing incident. He wasn't surprised. Kate might look delicate, but she had always been very resilient.

"I'm fine." She said, smiling back, her tone warm.

Their eyes met briefly for a moment before Jack looked away, a little embarrassed. Kate was a married woman now. He had no business looking at her like that.

"Are you here for the day too?" Kate asked, defusing the awkward silence.

At his blank look, she continued. "Ms. Yassir thought it would be safer if your team and I worked here today."

"I didn't know that. I came down here to complete some paperwork, but I might as well stay if Chloe and Morris are going to be here."

"Ok." Kate seemed pleased with that idea. She always felt safer when Jack was around. "Listen, I need to get back to work. Market's pretty active today."

"Of course." He tried to move but his feet seemed to be cemented to the floor. He had to get something off his chest first.

"Kate. About last night..." Jack was looking down at his shoes, but a little smile played around his lips. "...despite how it ended, I'm glad we got to talk."

He raised his head involuntarily, his eyes searching her face for a reaction.

Kate was surprised at the intensity of his gaze. It had been a long time since she'd seen that look, the one that made her feel like she was the only person in the room. It was a little disconcerting.

"Me too, Jack." She said tentatively before dropping her eyes back to her screen and typing on her keyboard.

Jack sensed her discomfort and started to walk away.

"Jack." Kate called out. He turned around, a question mark on his face. Kate was looking at him like she had more to say.

"I'm just really glad you're ok." She said with a bemused smile.

He gave her a shy smile back, nodded and continued walking away.

* * *

The coffee shop on Broadway and Duane was a narrow storefront sandwiched between a retailer selling cell phone accessories and a wholesale beauty supply store. The sign on the glass was faded from years of daily window washing, its obscurity lending a certain privacy to the meeting that was about to take place. 

Mike entered first, making note of the layout, an L shaped counter lined with barstools on one side and a few booths on the other. Aside from the owner busily mopping the floor, there were only a handful of people in there.

He scanned the room in search of her contact and other possible hostiles. His eyes quickly skipped over the young couple sitting side by side on the counter and the pair of elderly gentlemen in tweed berets in one of the booths. They stopped at the man reading a newspaper in the adjacent banquette. Mike guessed he might be Nadia's contact.

He perched himself on the barstool with the best vantage point of that booth. With a receiver in his ear to monitor their conversation and a PDA in one hand, he was set. To keep a low profile, he was to communicate with the rest of the team via text messages over a secure line. If anything urgent came up, he'd revert to his cell. Unlike the others back at CTU, Mike couldn't take advantage of the voice transformation software that translated spoken words into text; he would have to type the messages in with his thumbs. Luckily, he was quite proficient at it.

Feeling the man's eyes on him, Mike reached for the menu, pretended to read it casually, and ordered a cup of coffee.

Nadia showed up half an hour later. Scanning the room for a familiar face, her eyes lit up as she saw the man in the booth. He acknowledged her with a smile and a wave, standing up gallantly as he saw her approach.

Mike raised the cup to his face and pretended to drink. This gave him the opportunity to observe the two of them. They were now seated across each other in the booth, both leaning forward and speaking in low voices.

The man had short, mostly greying hair and deepset eyes that flickered intensely as he spoke. Most of his face was hidden beneath a salt and pepper mustache and beard. He had an air about him that was refined, almost patrician. How he convinced a terrorist cell he was one of them, Mike would never know.

From their interaction, Mike was pretty sure that there was no romantic involvement between them. Nadia was too deferential, acting like she did when she was around Buchanan. Maybe that was it. A mentor in the earlier days of her career. He breathed a sigh of relief. Given the state of their relationship, he wasn't really looking forward to seeing her with the competition.

The man called Daniel spoke first.

"Kaif halik, Nadia?"

"I'm fine, sir." For the benefit of those listening in, She responded in English to steer the conversation in this language.

"I suppose you already know what's going to happen at Solera." Daniel began.

"We have an idea, but no details. For instance, we don't know when they'll strike or what they'll do exactly." Nadia stated.

"Shortly before the Fed announcement this afternoon, they'll be testing out an application that will send bogus sell orders to the New York Stock Exchange via Solera. They plan to introduce market disruptions gradually over multiple days, starting small so they're unnoticed but ramping up volume each day."

--

Doyle: feds? what do they have to do with this?

Kate: Federal Reserve, Agent Doyle, not FBI. Fed Chairman Bernanke is scheduled to make an announcement at 2:15 today. There's usually a lot of volatility before that. If they're doing a test, that would be the best time because no one would think it unusual.

Jack: That's a little over two hours from now. We don't have much time to do anything.

--

"I don't understand. Why gradual and not big bang?" Nadia asked.

"They can cause more damage this way. The market being down one day, especially due to a technical glitch, is not statistically significant news, but the market down over a longer period signals an upcoming recession and can trigger more selling from the larger institutions."

"In other words, bad news feeds on itself?" Nadia summarized.

"Correct, and the impact can be global too. As the saying goes, when America sneezes, the whole world catches a cold."

"How are they going to do this?" Nadia inquired, her face grave. She wished they had more time to plan out an appropriate response.

"They have an inside man at Solera who has left some IP addresses unguarded by their firewalls. They'll hack into Solera through those." Daniel replied.

--

Kate: Oh my God! I better tell Karim...

Chloe: No, I'm pretty sure it's Karim. I overheard him the other day talking to someone on his cell. Something about needing her out of the way. I'm assuming her is you, Kate.

Jack: Chloe! Why didn't you tell us last night?

Chloe: Sorry. I didn't make the connection till now.

Baker: I'm calling NYPD to pick him up for questioning.

Jack: How do we stop this?

Chloe: On it, Jack. Doing a traceroute on all the ip addresses Solera has.

Morris: Getting you the natted ip translations now, sweetie.

--

Daniel looked both ways to make sure he wasn't being watched. He placed a tiny flat object on her palm, and closed her fingers over it.

"Take care of this, Nadia. It contains a list of all the suspect IP addresses."

"Thanks." Nadia nodded. "I'll send it to our people right now." She slipped the SD card into her PDA and hit the send button.

--

Doyle: chloe. confirm receipt when you get everything and plug those holes asap.

Chloe: Our systems are still scanning the contents, Mike. Will let you know.

Morris: I also want to point out that Solera employs a hot hot backup configuration. If we disable the ip's on the primary servers, the orders will get routed to the backups. We'll also need to plug those too.

Doyle: no need for the blow by blow, morris. just get it done.

--

"Daniel, one more thing." Nadia reached for something that she had been carrying around in her pocket. It had haunted her for days since she took it out of its package. She handed him the pewter ring that had once belonged to a terrorist.

Daniel recognized it immediately and searched her face for signs of anguish before patting her hand gently.

"It was hard giving him up, no?"

"Very."

Nadia tried to smile but couldn't. That was such a long time ago, buried so deep in her consciousness that it seemed part of another lifetime. Time healed all wounds, as the cliche went. It was true, she no longer felt anything, but she could still remember.

"You did the right thing."

Nadia did not answer. Involuntarily, her head turned towards the direction where Mike was sitting, curious to see his reaction. His eyes were shut tight and two fingers were massaging the space in between them as if he were in pain. Immediately, she regretted bringing up the subject. _This is not how he should have found out._

--

Doyle: (silence)

Jack: Doyle! What are they talking about?

Mike sighed and stared at his pda. He felt like hurling the damn thing on the wall, but he was a professional so his thumbs started typing instead.

Doyle: no clue.

--

"This ring was dropped off at CTU last week. I guess they're after me." Nadia spoke again, asking for confirmation of her suspicion.

"No. They don't know you're here." He reassured her. "I had it sent to you to let you know the cell was active again. Tarik Aziz took over. You remember him, don't you?"

Nadia nodded. Until the recent turn of events, she had planned to 'bump' into Tarik in a midtown coffee shop to get more information.

"How was I supposed to know that it came from you?" Nadia asked, confused.

"Did you not read my note?" He answered, alarmed.

She shook her head and looked him square in the eye.

"Daniel... there was no note."

They held each other's gaze for a moment as their faces registered simultaneous comprehension. _They'd been played_. Nadia stared at the ring in her hand and flung it on the table like it had just caught fire. A look of panic crossed her face as she glanced down at her PDA.

--

Chloe: Doyle. We're done.

Doyle: wait. i see their faces. something's wrong.

Kate: Chloe! My trade monitor just started filling up with sell orders...

Jack: DAMMIT! Chloe. Whatever you did. Reverse it. NOW!!!

Chloe: I can't. That won't solve it. Closing those IP's triggered something else in the code. I can't really tell what...

Morris: Oh shit. Did we just set off a trojan horse?

--

"Oh God. They knew about this all along. What have I done?" Daniel groaned as he covered his face with his hands.

Nadia sat back, stunned. The conversations at CTU were playing in her head over and over, and her career just flashed before her eyes.

"I think we've just opened the floodgates." She put a hand over her mouth to stop the feeling of nausea from overcoming her.

--

Kate: Oh God. the Dow and the S&P are dropping like lead... it's all over the newswires. Market's melting...

* * *

**Next Chapter: Market meltdown...**

**A/N: For those unfamiliar, the Dow refers to the Dow Jones Industrial Average, a major bellwether of the US stock markets. S&P is the S&P500, another major index. Wikipedia has a good description but i somehow had trouble posting the link here. Sorry, i know this isn't a Finance101 fic ;) **

**Please review...**


	12. Pandora's Box

**A/N: Sorry. I'm reposting this chapter because I wasn't happy with the original one. I hope this reads better.**

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to 24**

Pandora's Box

_Bloomberg: Dow down 500 points in heavy selling..._

_Reuters: Dow nosedives 800 points and continues to slide..._

_CNBC: Dow plunges a jaw dropping 1000 points in what appears to be the single worst day since the market crash of 1987...this is Maria Bartiromo of CNBC live at the floor of the New York Stock Exchange..._

In a matter of seconds, it was all over the financial newswires and television. Everywhere Kate looked, headlines screamed about the Dow's record breaking drop. Financial pundits offered conflicting opinions on what was happening. Some blamed the price of oil shooting up to over $100 a barrel, triggering inflation fears; others, the sub-prime crisis and how the Fed was powerless to stop it. Of course, they were all wrong.

Kate could just imagine the pandemonium happening at the male dominated trading floors of the top investment banks as millions of dollars of market value evaporated with each millisecond. Traders loosening their starched white collars and rolling up their sleeves, beads of perspiration trailing down their foreheads as they watched the market go into a tailspin. Shot nerves giving way to simultaneous yelling and cursing, phones glued to ears as they desperately tried to find buyers to unload their long positions. Rolex clad wrists banging on desks in frustration before reaching out for bottles of Tums and aspirin.

The rest of CTU was stunned. Baker was scratching his head. He was trained to deal with acts of terrorism involving explosives and other forms of physical damage, but this was clearly beyond his level of expertise. The other analysts stared at their screens helplessly, with no clue at how to stop the threat. Chloe and Morris were in the middle of a shouting match as they typed away on their keyboards. Jack, realizing the liability his company had taken on, was on the phone with Bill and Karen discussing a mitigation plan.

Then, just like that, Kate's trade monitor started to clear and the stream of orders subsided.

"Jack!" Kate called out. "It stopped."

"Hang on a sec, Bill" Jack interrupted. "What's going on, Kate?" Jack yelled out to her, noticing how she and the media seemed to have suddenly calmed down.

"All trading stopped. What time is it?" Kate asked, unable to tear her eyes away from the big screen TV tuned to CNBC. It had just been announced there as well.

"5 to 1. Why?"

Kate stood up and ran over to his desk.

"We have an hour to fix this." She stated plainly.

"How do you know that?" Jack asked.

"The exchange circuit breakers kick in and stop all trading when the Dow drops 10 percent. If this happens before 2pm, trading stops for an hour." She explained.

"Ok. Understood." Jack nodded, his mind quickly grasping the gravity of the situation. "Bill, gotta go. Do what you have to do."

Together with Kate and Baker, Jack marched over to Chloe and Morris who were still bickering. Morris was looking over Chloe's hunched shoulder and pointing at her screen, then swiping her keyboard as he tried to take control. Chloe's face mirrored the irritation and frustration she felt and her mouth started to tear at him once more.

"Listen, we have an hour to get to the bottom of this. I need both of you to work together and identify the piece of code that was triggered and fix it." Jack demanded. "Understood?"

Both stopped arguing and turned to him. From the look on their red faces, Jack knew it wasn't going to be good news.

"We have another problem, Jack." Chloe said as calmly as she could.

"What problem?" Jack's raspy voice mirrored the irritation on his face.

"We've lost control of the Solera servers." Chloe confessed.

"WHAT?!" Jack barked.

"I mean..." Chloe struggled to explain it in a non-technical manner. "...no matter what I type, nothing happens."

Jack's face sank into his palm. There was a dull pounding in his head that wouldn't go away. He thought days like these were behind him.

"The only way we can stop this is by shutting down the physical machines." Chloe added, trying to make amends.

"Those are in our data center in Weehawken, New Jersey." Kate offered.

"That's just right across the river. I'll arrange for a chopper and a team now." Baker said before disappearing to round up his men.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a short squat nondescript office building overlooking the Hudson River, Solera's CTO was standing in the long empty hallway with the white ascetic walls and having a conversation on his cell phone. 

"It's done. They fell right into it. The triggers have been set off and we have control of the Solera servers. I'm leaving now, but I have men standing guard."

"Excellent. Make sure you wrap up the loose ends." A girlish voice on the other end of the line said. "Too bad we couldn't get Kate last night. Maybe another time."

"They're on their way."

"I have to go. I think I'm being watched."

* * *

Back at the coffee shop, Doyle was the first of the three to recover from the shock of setting off the market meltdown. He jammed his PDA in his pocket and called Jack on his cell phone. 

"Jack, it's Doyle. What's going on?"

"Temporary reprieve. We have an hour to fix this but we're having connection problems with Solera." Jack said, then added as a second thought. "Pump him for info on where to find the rest of them, will you."

"With pleasure." Mike didn't believe for one moment that the man was innocent. He strode over and yanked Daniel out of the booth, grabbing him by the collar with both hands and eyeing him furiously.

"You son of a bitch! You set us up, didn't you?" Mike hissed.

"How dare you." Daniel's face initially registered confusion then outrage at being manhandled this way, and his hands clamped down on Mike's wrists. "Get your hands off me!"

"Where's the rest of you?" Mike shook him one more time. His face inching closer menacingly.

The other customers were staring at the three of them in alarm. Expecting a full scale fist fight to ensue, they gingerly skirted around the booth in a single file and headed for the door.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Daniel said defiantly through clenched teeth. He winced and twisted his head to one side as Mike raised an arm to hit him.

Nadia sprang up from her side of the booth, shot out a hand and tugged at Mike's arm.

"Mike, NO! We were both set up." Her eyes pleaded with him to calm down.

He looked at her briefly and blinked a few times, as if deciding whether or not to continue. He was about to release the man when a single shot shattered the storefront glass and pierced Daniel from the back. The man let out a small groan and slumped forward limply onto Mike's chest before sinking to the floor.

Nadia's eyes widened and she let out a small gasp, bumping into the table as she recoiled backwards. Her mind instantly registered that she was next.

Mike looked around and saw a black limo parked by the curb, window rolled down halfway revealing the barrel of an M16 and a finger on its trigger.

More shots were fired in rapid succession, bullets strafing them in a horizontal line from left to right and back. The sound of gunfire and glass shattering echoed throughout the coffee shop. Wisps of smoke spread through the room and shards of broken glass flew everywhere.

"Shit!" Mike instinctively raised one forearm to cover his eyes while his other hand grabbed a hold of Nadia, pulling her down with him as he ducked under the table.

Nadia gingerly reached out for Daniel and turned him face up to see the extent of the damage. He was bleeding profusely and his face was writhing in pain, but he was still breathing.

There was a slight lull as the gunman paused to reload his weapon.

"Baker! There's a limo outside shooting at us. Nadia's contact is down. We need backup and medics NOW!" Mike turned to one side and barked.

"Doyle! It's Jack. Baker's not here right now. Do what you can to hold them off while I call NYPD and EMS."

While Mike was talking to Jack, Nadia crawled on her stomach towards the window. By the time he was done, she was already kneeling on the floor, both hands firmly on her gun and aiming for the man in the limo.

"Nadia! Get back here!" Doyle shouted, his heart suddenly stuck in his throat.

Nadia pulled the trigger and hit the assassin. She pumped another set of bullets into the tires of the limo, preventing its escape.

Mike breathed a sigh of relief and swallowed his heart back down to its place.

"Good job." He said grudgingly, more than a little impressed. She did know how to use a gun.

But it wasn't over. Two other men got out of the limo from the other side and hid behind it, tag teaming and spraying them with gunfire. One was targeting Doyle; the other, Nadia.

Mike crept up behind Nadia and tapped her on the shoulder. He pointed his thumb backward, signaling for her to go behind him. Not once did he take his eyes off his targets.

"Call CTU. Have them back time the feeds on this limo and trace where it came from." Mike instructed her. "I'll cover you."

She nodded and did as she was told.

Mike parked himself against the wall beside the window and observed the two men, listening to the pattern of their gunfire. He counted to seven after their last shot, turned around and fired, hitting the one that showed his head first.

One more to go.

* * *

Jack and Kate clambered up the dimly lit stairwell and pushed the heavy metal door leading out to the rooftop of the CTU building. They squinted momentarily as their eyes adjusted from the cave like setting inside CTU to the bright sunlight outdoors. 

Baker was giving instructions to one of his men while the helicopter was being prepped.

"Jack." Baker called out. "Chopper's almost ready and the team's standing by."

The rotor blades slowly started to spin as the pilot turned on the engine. The initial whine and the staccato sound that accompanied it got louder and louder, making conversation in a normal voice impossible.

"We need another team to go to Jersey City. We traced the limo to this address on West Side Avenue." Jack shouted above the din while he handed Baker a piece of paper. "Why don't you take some of your men there. I'll run point on Weehawken."

"I'm coming with you, Jack." Kate volunteered, hands covering her ears, voice straining to be heard.

Jack pulled her back inside the stairwell, away from the noise. Placing his hands on either side of her arms, he looked at her earnestly.

"Kate." He was trying to speak as gently as he could. "I need you to stay here where you'll be safe."

"I know the inside of the data center very well." Kate insisted. "Besides, you'll need me for access."

"Just give me your id card." Jack countered impatiently.

"We don't use id cards. We have a retina reader." Kate parried, quickly winning her argument.

Jack hesitated for a moment. Kate was one of the few people who had come out unscathed despite a relationship with him. He wanted very much to keep it that way; but he also knew she wouldn't back down.

"All right." Jack nodded and handed her a weapon. "Come with me then."

His hand never left her arm as he guided her into the chopper.

* * *

Data centers were devoid of people, or at the very least, minimally staffed. People meant body heat. Body heat raised the temperature of the rooms housing the servers, and that was not a good thing. 

"Geez. It's like a fridge in here, Kate." Jack grumbled as they entered the premises through the service entrance. He had already taken down two of the hostiles that had been standing guard outside. He looked to his left and then his right to make sure there were no more of them lurking inside.

"That's on purpose. To make sure the machines don't overheat." Kate replied as she pushed the door into the stairwell.

"Chloe. How many are showing up on the thermal scan for the utility room?" Jack whispered. His initial thought was to cut off the power supply.

"At least a dozen milling around. Looks heavily guarded."

"What about the room where the servers are housed?" Jack said as he weighed the alternative.

"About half that many on the floor itself. That's a better bet."

Kate pointed a finger upwards and proceeded up the steps. Jack nodded and followed Kate's lead up four flights of stairs. He paused before opening the reentry door back to the floor.

"Chloe, anyone around?" Jack asked in a low voice.

"No. Make a right and follow that hallway."

Jack & Kate did as Chloe told, walking slowly so the sound of their footsteps wouldn't bounce off the walls.

When they reached the end, Kate pointed left, signaling that they should turn.

"That door around the corner leads to the room housing the servers, Jack." Chloe's voice chimed in his ear. "There's one body standing outside."

Jack peered around the corner and confirmed that. He reached for a coin in his pocket, flipped it on his thumb and let it somersault to the solid surface floor. The clinking sound of metal hitting stone pierced through the constant hum of the airconditioning, catching the guard's attention as Jack had intended. He tensed up as he heard the soles of the man's shoes pad softly across the floor.

When the man's face appeared around the corner, Jack shoved his fist into it, hitting the man smack in the nose. One hand yanked the man's collar behind his neck, turning the man around so that his back was against Jack. Jack's other arm wrapped itself around the man's neck and squeezed tight. He could feel the man's fingers biting into his forearm while his face dodged the useless blows inflicted by the man's flailing arm. Jack flexed his arm tighter around the man's neck until no more air could flow through the man's windpipe. When he felt all resistance leave the man's body, Jack laid him quietly on the floor.

Kate followed Jack as he walked closer to the door. He tried opening it, but it was locked. He looked at Kate and pointed to the retina reader.

She nodded and moved towards it, placing her face near the sensor. Nothing happened. She tried again, making sure her right eye was in the middle this time. Same thing.

"I don't understand." Kate stepped back, a confused look on her face.

"They must have disabled your access already." Jack stood there for a moment and ran his hand through his hair, thinking of what to do next. He glanced down at his watch. They had 15 minutes before trading started up again. "Dammit!"

Turning around, he pointed his gun at the door and fired two shots. They didn't even cause a dent; they did, however, send a flurry of footsteps running down the corridor.

"Shit! Come on. Let's go."

Jack grabbed Kate's hand and ran in the opposite direction. The hallway was only 20 feet long, but reaching the end of it seemed like an eternity. Kate sprinted along side Jack until they came face to face with a wall.

"Chloe. Left or right?" Jack panted breathlessly as they paused to determine which way to go.

"There's a supply room on your right. Go in there." Chloe said.

Jack yanked Kate inside the room and locked the door. Both leaned against it, heads thrown back, exhaling deeply for a moment. When they heard the stomp of boots hitting ground grow louder, Jack signaled to Kate to move away from the door while he did the same.

Jack leaned against the wall adjacent to the door, his forearm raised, his weapon drawn. Kate held her breath and closed her eyes, preparing for the inevitable.

Both simultaneously heaved a sigh of relief as the footsteps receded, seeming to head to the other side.

Jack turned his attention back to the matter at hand.

"We have barely 5 minutes, Chloe. What are our options?" Jack said gruffly.

"Well, you can power down the entire building and shut the machines that way." Chloe answered. "But the main switch is on the ground floor diagonally across from where you are now. You'll never make it in time."

While Jack was browbeating Chloe for more solutions, Kate looked around the room randomly, taking in the racks of supplies lining the walls, the copier, the garbage bin, the light switch, the little box above it...

Her eyes blinked in recognition, and she quickly interrupted them.

"Chloe, can you bring up the ventilation plans for the building?" Kate said urgently.

There was a rustle of keystrokes before Chloe replied.

"Got it."

"There's a thermostat in here. Does it control the data center temperature?" Kate crossed her fingers as she waited for the answer.

"Yes. it's for the whole floor."

The thermostat was set to 68 degrees. Kate pushed the button repeatedly to raise it another 30.

"Of course. Thermal runaway." Morris interjected. "Good job, Kate."

"What's that?" Jack asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"When temperatures are set above the tolerance levels..." Morris started to explain.

"Morris! English." Jack swore underneath his breath.

"Increasing the room temperature beyond 75 degrees will cause the servers to overheat and naturally shut down." Kate explained. All those boring sessions she attended on contingency planning did not go to waste after all. There would be hell to pay tomorrow since their data would be lost.

"How long before it takes into effect?" Jack asked, glancing at his watch.

"Those server cabinets are at 10 kilowatts." Chloe paused while making a mental calculation in her head. "Less than a minute."

Jack leaned on the wall, bowing his head as he counted the remaining seconds till the shutdown took place. He stole a glance sideways at Kate who was staring at the ceiling, probably doing the same thing he was.

The whirr of the air conditioning slowly died and a burst of warm air started coming out of the vents.

"I'm not seeing any spikes on your trade monitors, Kate." Chloe confirmed. "Newswires are reporting that the market's back to normal."

Kate turned to Jack, still looking a little worried.

"That was just to tide us over." Kate warned. "This could be easily reversed if they get hold of the main thermostat."

Jack nodded and pulled out his radio.

"Agent Peters. Can you hear me?" Jack called out to the helicopter pilot standing by outside.

"Loud and clear."

"I need you to take out the air conditioning units on the roof from your chopper."

"Roger."

"Where's the rest of the team?"

"They're already inside the building. There's a few of them now on your floor."

Jack nodded over to Kate.

"Done."

Kate smiled faintly, shoulders visibly relaxing. Jack did the same. Both knew exactly what the other was thinking. They were getting too old for this.

* * *

Mike looked around at the remains of what was once a coffee shop. Shattered glass everywhere. Vinyl banquettes dotted with bullet holes. The owner, who had been hiding behind the bar all this time, was now leaning on it and shaking his head miserably. 

The place was swarming with NYPD and EMS personnel. This was probably the most people it had seen in a while, if at all.

The medics had strapped Daniel on a gurney and were about to wheel him out. Mike watched Nadia pull up the white sheet over his shoulder before she let them take him away.

"You ok?" He placed a hand on her arm and spoke softly from behind her.

She turned around, stared at him for a moment and shook her head. Her forehead was lined with deep furrows and her mouth had shrunk into a frown. He gently wiped a tear from the corner of her eye with his thumb. She closed her eyes and rubbed her face slowly on his palm, finding a little solace in its warmth and leathery feel.

Finally she spoke.

"Mike. About Detroit..." she said hesitantly, her voice subdued and cracked. "...I didn't know how to tell you. I wasn't sure how you'd react."

The poker face was back and his hand fell down to his side.

"It's in the past, right?"

She nodded, gazing at him for some clue as to how he really felt, but his face gave nothing away.

"Then it's none of my business."

He said the right words, but his voice was a little strained and his eyes were a little dull. She knew he didn't mean it. She couldn't blame him; she didn't exactly prepare him for it.

"Mike...it's not what you think." She said softly and reached out for his hand.

"Let's talk later, ok?" He forced a small smile and squeezed her hand before turning to one of the police officers who had approached them.

"How many of them were there?" The officer had a notebook in hand and was jotting down his comments in it.

"Four. Three are dead, but the driver escaped." Mike replied.

"Who were they?"

"Part of a terrorist cell involved in disrupting the stock market today." he added.

From the corner of his eye, he watched Nadia walk towards one of the EMS workers who had called her over. Mike's eyes flitted from the man's name tag to the olive skinned face. He squinted a moment before placing his hand instinctively on his holster. Beads of sweat broke across his forehead as he saw the man reach inside his jacket and ...

"NADIA! Get down!"

Two shots were fired. One hit. One missed.

THUD.

That was the sound of a body falling on the ground.

Mike lowered his weapon and ran towards her. Nadia was crouched on the floor, curled up in a fetal position with both hands grasping the sides of her head. Her eyes were shut tight and her body was shaking a little.

But she was safe.

Mike knelt down and hugged her tightly, one hand holding the back of her head and stroking her hair as she buried her face in his neck. His heart was beating so loud that she could feel it throb against her palm.

"It's all right, baby, it's over." He whispered to her.

He raised his face upwards and exhaled deeply in relief, closing his eyes for a moment in silent thanks.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Tying up loose ends at CTU. We're down to the last two chapters...**

**A/N: Please review.**


	13. The Why and Wherefore

**A/N: Ok. Forgive me if this chapter is a bit schizophrenic...plot plus a little bit of fluffy domesticity at the end...**

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to 24**

The Why and Wherefore

There was an unnerving quiet around CTU, as was usually the case when a crisis had just blown over. The loud voices yelling orders from the field, the simultaneous tap of keystrokes on multiple workstations, the rush of feet shuffling from one desk to the other had all died down to a minimum.

Chloe breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Nadia and Mike walk into the premises, both looking relatively unharmed. She had been so focused on helping Jack and Kate that she lost track of what happened at the coffee shop after the police had arrived. She thought she might have heard the sound of gunshots emitted from Nadia's microphone.

She smiled at the sight of Mike's hand loosely circled around Nadia's arm. It seemed more like a protective gesture now compared to this morning's vice-like grip. What a roller coaster ride it must be to date Mike Doyle. Just earlier today, the man could barely contain his anger at Nadia. They must have fought about something. It was evident from the tightness in his face and the way his words barely escaped through his teeth. Chloe hadn't even bothered to ask why; she was in no mood to get her head bitten off.

When they stopped to ask her about the rest of the team, she told them that the crisis was over and that both Jack and Kate as well as Baker and his team were on their way back.

As Mike and Nadia climbed up the stairs to her office, Chloe saw that same hand gently pat the small of her back as he followed behind her._ He is such a goner._

* * *

Mike was not normally demonstrative in public, let alone inside the workplace; but right now all he wanted to do was keep his hand on her back and stay connected to her. 

But Nadia had other things on her mind. She walked over to her desk and sat on the edge of it, rubbing her temples with both hands.

"Mike, I still owe you an explanation." She said in a low voice, eyes averted to the floor.

_God. She's like a pit bull when she sets her mind to it._ He came closer until he stood in front of her. He was shaking his head a little in exasperation, his mouth stretched into a thin line.

"I told you it doesn't matter." Mike leaned forward and grasped her shoulders before lightly brushing his lips on her forehead. "I'm just really glad you're alive."

He meant it too. His head physically ached at the thought of what might have happened to her a few hours ago, and he realized that the past was just a lot of background noise.

"No. Please hear me out." She knew he wouldn't ask on his own volition and she didn't want this festering in his mind or coming between them in the future.

"All right." His eyes became a little guarded. He didn't really want to hear all the sordid details and braced himself for what was to come.

"Contrary to what you think, I wasn't sent on that assignment to be some kind of Mata Hari with the purpose of seducing anyone." Nadia looked him straight in the eye.

Mike was immediately reminded of his accusation in a previous argument. He flushed a little bit and looked down, unable to hold her stare.

"Daniel was already well established in the group but he needed an accomplice to help him execute his plan without blowing his cover. I was introduced as a distant relative of his and worked alongside the men, women and families in the cell for months."

She paused for a moment and her face became pensive.

"I got to know some of them pretty well. Not all were fanatics like Fayed. Some were misguided individuals. Others were there out of desperation, people who'd seen loved ones die in their own countries because of regional politics."

Mike was listening to her intently, but it was now her turn to look away. This was going to be the tough part.

"Unfortunately, I started to get a little close to ..." She stopped herself, unable to bear seeing the pained look on his face.

"Daniel noticed. He kept reminding me of my objective." She continued with a rueful smile. "Let's just say he also made sure I didn't do anything I'd later regret."

Soulful brown eyes expressed what she was leaving out, but Mike knew exactly what she meant. Before he could say anything, the intercom buzzed and a curt voice boomed on the speaker phone.

"Nadia, Doyle. We're here."

Jack. The master of perfect timing.

* * *

Baker and his team were the last to return to CTU. 

The address in Jersey City turned out to be a two family house with vinyl siding that looked liked it hadn't been power washed in years. Parts of the roof had patches of darker asbestos shingles that stood out from the faded ones. Two plastic chairs were scattered haphazardly on the weed filled lawn separated from the sidewalk with a flimsy chicken wire fence.

From the outside, Baker had found it hard to believe that terrorists were inflicting carnage to the financial markets from this dive. He had split his team so that some went around to cover the back while the rest assumed their positions by the front and side entrances. Peering through a small crack in the window, Baker got a glimpse of the state of the art equipment inside. Workstations, servers, and routers connected to high speed dedicated T1 lines terminating where the washer/dryer hook ups were.

There were a handful of men inside. Half of them looked grizzly and battle-scarred, with the straps of their Tac15's hanging loosely from their shoulders. The remaining ones were sitting behind the computers, staring intensely at their screens while typing away furiously on the keyboards.

On cue, Baker's team had simultaneously barged in and opened fire. When it was over, the body count was two on the terrorist's side. The rest were rounded up and brought back to CTU. Of course, by the time they left, the place was in shambles. Bullets perforated the sheet rock. Cables were severed and circuit boards were strewn everywhere. They'd be lucky if they could get anything useful from the main server.

"Tarik Aziz was killed during the fight. Karim's being interrogated in Holding B." Baker reported back to Nadia. He glanced in Kate's direction uneasily before adding. "Even before we brought him back here, he was claiming that someone else was involved."

Nadia followed his gaze and nodded in comprehension.

"I've already sent Peters to pick him up. They're on their way here now." Baker added.

Nadia walked over to one of the analysts.

"David. Get me the transcripts of conversations from Karim's cell phone for the past week."

* * *

Kate was deep in discussion with the BXJ team about how to possibly recover the data lost when they shutdown the Solera servers. They were going to have to weed through all the bogus trades and notify the settlement agents of these breaks. She knew that a post-mortem with the stock exchange would be inevitable and didn't look forward to getting chewed out by the regulators. 

"Get your god damned hands off me!" A very familiar and extremely angry voice snarled from behind her.

Kate rolled her eyes and cringed inwardly. She didn't have to turn around to know that her husband was here in CTU. He had probably heard that she went to the data center with Jack and was scared shitless for her safety. She knew she'd get a tongue lashing on the way home. Even then, she was looking forward to the thought of leaving CTU. After a day like today, she needed a long relaxing soak really bad. The more bubbles the better.

More threats and profanity followed. Anyone who didn't know Todd Douglas would have sworn he was a stevedore in a prior life. One would also think that Kate would have been used to this by now. After all, hadn't she spent several years on the trading floor where testosterone levels could run high especially on a day like this? But she really hated it when he carried on like he was master of the universe. He wasn't this much of an ass in private.

She exhaled deeply before turning around and giving him a sweet smile. Hopefully that would ease the tension. Her smile slowly disappeared as she saw him being led away by two white shirt guards, arms behind his back in handcuffs.

"What's going on?" A small furrow appeared in her forehead as her eyes darted towards Jack, seeking reassurance. "Todd's got nothing to do with this."

Jack could only shake his head and shrug his shoulders helplessly. He was as much in the dark as she was.

Kate ran after them and planted herself right in front of Todd and the two guards, stopping them from going further down the hallway into one of the holding rooms.

From the corner of her eye, Nadia saw the little situation that was about to erupt and strode over quickly to defuse it. She put a hand on Kate's arm and pulled her to one side, giving her an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, Kate. We had to bring him in for questioning." Nadia explained. "Karim..."

"...is a LIAR!" Kate lashed out at her, eyes flashing, mouth curled in anger. "No way my husband is involved in what happened today." She spoke with a vehemence that was uncharacteristic of her normally sweet nature.

Nadia squared her shoulders and let her arm fall to her side. She wasn't exactly looking forward to being the bearer of bad news, especially when it was something that could impact a marriage.

"We have phone conversations between them that prove otherwise." She stated quietly. She felt for the woman as she saw shock chase away the disbelief in Kate's face.

"NO!"

"Here are the transcripts." Nadia handed her a sheaf of papers, her head bowed down as she found it hard to look Kate in the eye.

Kate quickly perused the first page, then shuffled through the next before shoving them back at Nadia.

"It can't be. I don't believe it." Kate's voice rang hollow and unconvincing even to herself. She hoped to God it was just something taken out of context.

"Todd knew about the glitches in Solera's infrastructure, the ones that enabled the terrorists to stage their attacks today." Nadia summarized, her honey voice full of sympathy for the woman who helped them earlier today.

"I didn't even know we had any." Kate shook her head and closed her eyes, pressing three fingers against her forehead to smooth out the furrows multiplying on it. She felt so naive and foolish.

Nadia considered her words carefully before she spoke again.

"We're still analyzing the rest of their conversation to determine the extent of his involvement." While she had little sympathy for Todd, for Kate's sake, she hoped it would only be superficial.

"Can you give me a moment alone with him first?" By now, a grudging acceptance was slowly settling on Kate's face.

Nadia hesitated briefly. This was against protocol but in the end she relented and motioned to the two guards to follow her and give them some privacy.

Jack approached Nadia as she headed back towards Baker and Doyle.

"How's the husband involved in all this?" He asked in a low voice, his eyes following Kate and her husband as they walked further down the hallway away from the rest of the crowd.

"We're not a hundred percent sure yet, but we have conversations between him and Karim that implied they were hiding something from Kate." Nadia answered back with a heavy heart. She felt so bad for Kate.

Jack glanced furtively in the direction where Kate and her husband were speaking with hushed voices. He winced as he saw the pained look on her face. The son of a bitch. He didn't deserve her.

"What about the attempt on Kate last night? Did he plan that too?" Jack's mind was spinning on overdrive as he tried to think of all the reasons why Todd would want Kate out of the way. Insurance money, sole control of Solera, majority interest in Warner International. He tried to keep his anger in check although his voice hissed in a way that hinted at payback if that was the case.

"We don't know yet." Nadia followed his gaze towards the couple.

Todd was leaning forward, shaking his head vigorously as he tried to appeal to deaf ears. Kate's eyes were shut tight and not able to see the earnestness in her husband's face. One hand crept up to cover a face that was about to crumple into tears.

Jack looked away guiltily, not wanting to intrude further in the private melodrama unfolding in the hallway. He didn't need to hear words to know what was happening. Secrets. Lies. Getting caught. The vicious cycle that caused little cracks in a marriage to widen into chasms.

Been there. Done that. It wasn't something that he would wish on anyone, let alone Kate.

"Nadia." Both Jack and Nadia turned their attention to the Head of Field Ops walking towards them. "There's something else you should know."

"What's that, Tom?"

"David cross checked the phone calls from Karim's cell phone. He traced a few of them to a cell phone inside Noble in Ohio." Baker added, his face grim.

Jack's head turned sharply, instantly on the same wavelength as Baker. "How the hell did SHE get transferred to a medium security prison?"

"He was talking to Marie Warner?" Nadia looked surprised. She had read up on Kate's files last night and that bit of detail was still fresh in her mind. Nadia didn't pursue the Marie angle precisely because she was still in prison.

"Apparently she was on good behavior the whole time." Baker added. "They needed the space at Riverbend so the prison psychiatrist recommended her move."

"Oh my God! We need to let Kate know." She looked at both of them wide eyed and was about to walk towards Kate when Jack held up his hand to stop her.

"Nadia, it's probably best I handle that." He said quietly.

* * *

It was one of those Sunday mornings when even the most conscientious field agent refused to get up for the morning run ingrained in him by his Field Ops training. The bed was just too soft; the pillows, too plump; and the covers, too warm to ever want to leave. Besides, he was exhausted. All the drama of the past few days, both personal and professional, had taken its toll on him and all he wanted was to sleep all weekend. 

Never mind that the sheets smelled a little too floral for his taste. Mike had gotten used to that. He noticed that Nadia wasn't one of those women who wore the same perfume day in day out. She liked to mix it up a bit, and he quickly learned to guess what their interaction would be depending on the fragrance she wore.

Verbena was what she wore to work. Clean and perky and just a tad acerbic. It was a no non-sense scent. One that asserted her presence and reminded everyone else to get cracking and buckle down to work for the next 24 hours. What's that? He didn't like her orders? Tough shit. And yes. Much of their heated conversations typically happened when she wore verbena.

Jasmine and mint was what she usually wore on weekends. Delicate and sweet with a hint of coolness. It lightly tapped him on the shoulder and invited him to pamper her with a back rub, hinting at the possibility of a kiss or two in return. The thought appealed to his masculinity, but of course, after he'd gladly obliged, the little tease would pull away demurely before he could collect payment.

Blue agave and cacao was for special occasions and worn primarily at night. Dark and rich, almost sinful. It was silent and compelling. The kind of scent that subtly wrapped itself around him like silken cords, squeezing every coherent thought out of his mind until he had no idea whether he was coming or going. Mike felt a certain heat spread downwards from the back of his ears to the rest of his body as he recalled the scent and all its connotations.

Who would have imagined that he would end up being such a connoisseur of Nadia's perfumes. He didn't even know what jasmine smelled like until he poked around in her medicine cabinet. To this day, he had no idea what agave was except that it was used to make tequila. That must account for the heady effect it had on him. Tequila plus chocolate equals lethal. Who knew?

He continued to lay in bed contemplating her ceiling, focusing on more prosaic thoughts as he willed himself to calm down. His eyes traveled the perimeter of her bedroom. Back in Denver, this would be called a walk-in closet. He'd only been in her apartment for the last four days since they caught the terrorists, but he knew he'd go nuts if he had to live here permanently. They needed a bigger place, that was for sure.

It wasn't like he was in a jail cell. At least it was bright and sunny, a notch up from the safe house they had been staying in. Also, he had to admit, the lady had great taste. Her apartment wore calm and soothing shades of beige, camel and brown; its monochromatic scheme making it appear larger than its 650 square feet. The few pieces of wenge furniture had sleek modern lines and were strategically placed to maximize function and negative space.

Yes, it could be a little showhouse for Metropolitan Home, but everything was just so damned angular. Nadia called it minimalist zen. He called it uncomfortable.

There was also the small matter of her TV. When he moved in for good, he'd get her a nice big plasma for the living room. There was just no way he was watching Burress score a touchdown on the unobtrusive 17" LCD screen staring at their bed right now. He had tried watching reruns of the NFL season on it and the players looked like ants crawling around each other on the grass.

Next up would be a nice leather recliner that would go right in front of the big TV, once he figured out how to convince her to get rid of those wooden sticks with a seat she called chairs.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee and something else made him forget all about his redecorating plans.

Mike got up and headed towards the kitchen where he could hear the gurgling sound of the coffee maker. Nadia must have already started it for him even though she didn't drink a drop of coffee.

He stood by the doorway and observed her hard at work in the tiny space. Her face was intense and focused as she peeled and sliced the last of the onions. Her right hand was balled up in a fist, guiding the blade of the knife on her left as it rocked back and forth in a steady rhythm. When she was done, she rested it on the counter and paused to admire her handiwork, feeling a sense of achievement in the evenly sliced translucent pieces. They would caramelize perfectly. She started humming a tuneless song as she poured a generous amount of olive oil into the oversized cast iron pot that almost took two burner spaces on her small cooktop.

Mike smiled at this rare display of domesticity. Nadia didn't cook often, but when she did, it was an all-out production. Of course, the downside was there would be a lot of pots and pans for him to wash later on, but he didn't mind. He loved her cuisine even if its inherent spiciness sometimes gave him heartburn.

He walked closer until her back was against him. Slipping an arm around her waist casually, he peered over her shoulder.

"Morning. That's not breakfast, is it?" Mike said, looking dubiously at the small mountain of sliced onions on the chopping board.

"No. That's lunch." She turned her head and gave him a quick buzz on the cheek. "I'm making sayadieh. It takes forever to cook."

She tilted her head sideways to give him more access as he nuzzled her jawline.

"Hmm. What's that? A Pakistani dish?"

She shook her head.

"I think it's Lebanese. It's rice cooked in an onion puree and topped with caramelized onions, pine nuts and grilled fish." She replied. "My college roommate used to bring some from home all the time."

"How do you make it?" He asked. Not that he was really interested. He just wanted an excuse to stay in the kitchen with her. He knew it wasn't long before she would shoo him away because it was just too small for the both of them.

"First you fry the onions until they're soft and brown, then you add what i call the 4 C's--cinammon, coriander, cumin and cardamom plus a little water..."

She dumped the entire pile of onions into the pot. They sizzled on contact with the hot oil, releasing an aroma so fragrant and so different from when they were in their raw state. It would take a while for them to cook down.

"Man, that smells good." Mike leaned forward and sniffed the air before burying his nose in her neck, breathing in the savory smell of onions and olive oil that clung to her skin.

He'd forgotten about this scent--when she smelled like her cooking. It was earthy and comforting with a large dose of reality. The fact that she didn't seem to mind slaving over a hot stove in this poorly ventilated kitchen warmed his heart. He knew all this was for him. Left to herself, the woman would probably just be munching on an apple for lunch. Sometimes, he worried that she didn't eat enough when he wasn't around.

Mike wrapped his other arm around her as well and squeezed her tiny frame in a bear hug.

"You smell good, too."

Nadia laughed out loud at what she thought was his blatant attempt to suck up to her. She smelled of food and that was that. Of course, she had no idea he had just spent the earlier part of the morning counting the ways in which she smelled like.

She felt him smiling against her neck. He liked it when she laughed. He liked making her laugh. He hadn't done much of that in the past. Quite the opposite, in fact.

"What time's your flight back to LA again?" she asked. He had told her several times but she subconsciously refused to remember.

"5pm tonight." His voice was quiet and subdued. He wanted to forget that he was leaving too. So little time left with her.

She turned around to face him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her cheek on his neck.

"Do you really have to go?" She said with a wistful smile. She would miss him. She would miss this.

Even then, the thought of being apart again didn't seem as daunting as it had been in the past. She knew they were on a much more solid footing now. They'd get through this.

"You know I do. It's just a few more months." he whispered in her hair. "I love you."

"I know."

* * *

**Next Chapter: Several months later, some closure for Kate (don't jump to any conclusions!) and Nadia/Doyle. Last one.**

**A/N: In case you're wondering, scents mentioned in this chap are by Jo Malone. And no. i'm not getting a cent out of it :)**


	14. Next Steps

**A/N: Ok last one. This is one looong epilogue. I've rewritten this chapter so many times. Sorry for the delay. Enough of suspense and angst... Warning: the last segment is Rated C (for Cheese), but hope it's not too much of a stretch. Oh well, this is an AU story after all :)**

**Disclaimer: Characters owned by 24**

Next Steps

Picture postcard perfect. That was the kind of day it was. The sky was a pale tiffany box blue; the breeze was mellow and warm with little of the chill that usually accompanied Connecticut weather this time of year. Boats of different sizes and shapes bobbed along the Long Island Sound, their sails nodding to one another in greeting as they passed.

The large shingle style house sprawled serenely on several acres of land overlooking the water, enjoying the view and fanning itself with the ocean breeze. Inside, however, its owner was having anything but an idyllic day. In the master bedroom, an almost too glaring sunlight streamed through the palladian window onto the king size bed strewn with clothes.

Kate folded each piece carefully before placing them inside the large suitcase that lay open on the floor. She was glad to have something to do that did not require much thinking. Her mind was still too preoccupied with the events of the past few months.

She turned around as she heard footsteps reach the landing just outside her bedroom.

"How did it go?" She asked nervously as the blond haired man in the cognac leather jacket and aviator sunglasses appeared in the doorway.

"Everything's fine, Kate. Don't worry." Jack answered with a reassuring smile. "Bill and Karen are feeding Robbie and Olivia huge fudge sundaes as we speak. It'll be a while before they ask about you."

Kate's shoulders sagged with relief, "Good."

Her relaxed state was short-lived. She felt a rising panic as she stared at the mountain of clothes on the bed still waiting to be packed.

_Oh God. I'm never going to finish._

Jack read her mind.

"Take your time, Kate." He said before pointing to two suitcases nearby. "Are these done?"

"Yes, those are Robbie's and Olivia's." She replied.

"Let me take them down to the car." He said before disappearing down the stairs again.

Kate resumed packing; she had not wanted her children to see her doing this. There would just be too many questions that would be too painful to answer.

_Mommy, what are you doing? Packing, dear._

_Why? We're moving to Manhattan._

_Where are we going to live over there? In our pied-a-terre on the Upper East Side._

_What about school? The 92nd Y is the best school in the city. You can thank your Aunt Karen for helping you and Robbie get in without being on the wait list._

_What about our friends? You'll make new ones there, dear, and you'll have a lot more play dates there than here.  
_

_Why are we moving? Is it because everyone here's calling Daddy a crook?_

Even in her mind, Kate could not come up with a suitable reply to that one. Better to just get this over and done with.

Manhattan was a logical choice. Not only would it provide the anonymity they needed, it would also be more convenient for work. Kate could foresee long hours ahead while she and her team rebuilt Solera. This last fiasco had not only damaged their reputation, it also decimated them financially as their short term cash was quickly eaten up in lawsuits. A temporary infusion from Warner International was keeping them afloat for the meantime, but that was going to run out soon. Kate would have to go on a roadshow to raise money from investors. It wasn't impossible. She and her dad had done it for Warner International after the nuclear attack in LA several years back. Jack, Bill and Karen had done it for BXJ more recently.

She laid the last article of clothing on top of the others and closed the luggage, yanking the zipper around probably more fiercely than she should have.

Jack stood in the doorway observing the woman from behind his sunglasses. Her white cotton sheath hung limply over a still graceful but increasingly thin frame. The blonde hair, pulled back with a headband, lacked its usual luster and looked a little brassy in the sunlight. The pale ashen face held an expression of practiced serenity, although if one looked closer, one could now see the creases lingering permanently on her forehead.

"Ready?" He asked.

Kate nodded and gave him a wan smile.

Seeing her so frail tugged at him. He walked over and put a reassuring hand on her arm. "Don't worry. Todd's only going to Eglin. He'll be fine."

"I suppose it could be worse." Kate sighed. Todd was going to jail for several months at Eglin Federal Prison Camp, a minimum security facility well known for being easy on its inmates, hence the nickname Club Fed. Forbes magazine actually had it on their list of best places to go to prison. Karen reassured her that Todd would be in good company with the other CEO's serving time there. Somehow that held little comfort for Kate.

"Look at it this way." Jack suggested. "At least he was cleared of any connection to the terrorists. Believe me, facing the SEC is a cakewalk compared to Homeland or the CIA."

The Securities and Exchange Commission had filed charges against Todd after examining his emails and phone conversations with Karim. They had not been pleased that the man compromised the integrity of the financial system just so that Solera could be the first to market with his algorithms. Karim had craftily exploited his boss' impatience to further his cell's objective, introducing flaws to Solera's infrastructure even as he downplayed their impact. Somehow, he was able to convince Todd that a fix would delay their roll out and that they should keep all of this from Kate.

"What's wrong?" Jack tipped her chin up, examining her face with those perceptive blue eyes. "You're still not worried about Marie, are you?"

After CTU discovered Marie's involvement in the recent terrorist incident, Nadia made sure she was moved back to her old cell in Riverbend, a maximum security women's prison in Tennessee.

Kate shook her head, but Jack had known the woman long enough to know there was more to it than what she was not saying.

"Come on, Kate. It's me, Jack, remember?" He said gently.

"I..." Kate paused, not knowing how to explain. "I feel so guilty."

"What for?" Jack asked incredulously. The woman always did carry the weight of the world on her shoulders. "You were at his side supporting him during the trial. What more can anyone ask for?"

"I was co-CEO. I should have shared some of the blame." Kate rubbed her forehead gingerly, not wanting to put more lines on it than there already were. "I should have..."

Jack shook his head as he slowly pulled her towards him, letting her head rest on his shoulder while he stroked her hair.

"Shh..." He whispered in her ear. "You did the best you could."

Given what she had done to contain the incident, Kate had been cleared of all charges. On the other hand, the press, the public and the jury seemed to enjoy spit roasting Todd. He'd made the front page of the financial rags like the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times as the man who brought down the markets for a day. The tabloids were even more scathing. Schadenfreude. Yes, there had certainly been a lot of that going around. Here was a man who seemingly had it all--looks, wealth, power--only to foul up royally. No sympathy there.

"It's just not fair." Kate wailed softly, tears running down his leather jacket. "This should've just been a fine, not a jail sentence."

"I know...I know." His velvety voice calmed her frazzled nerves. In his mind, he agreed. It would've been a fine if Todd's gamble hadn't unwittingly facilitated terrorist activity. Given that, the judge really had no choice.

Feeling a little better, Kate wiped her eyes with the back of her hands and pulled away.

"How was your trip to LA?" she asked as he bent and picked up her suitcase from the floor.

Jack went momentarily still, and Kate could see the two thirds of his face not hidden behind his sunglasses visibly soften.

"Good. Kim and I had lunch." A small smile tugged at his lips, like he couldn't help it. "We talked."

Kate smiled likewise, and this time it reached her eyes even though they were still watery with tears. This man deserved so much more than what life had meted out to him so far.

"I'm glad." She said simply. "How's Audrey?"

"Not yet, I'm afraid." Jack shook his head, his smile turning a little rueful. "But I'm still hopeful."

Jack carried the suitcase down the stairs, placing it inside the trunk of her Range Rover along with the others. He held the passenger side door open for Kate and closed it firmly after she slipped inside. Going around to the other side, he settled into the driver's seat and programmed the GPS for Bill and Karen's address.

"Thanks again for doing this, Jack."

"Anytime, Kate." He said gruffly.

As Jack backed the car out of the driveway, Kate turned her head and took one wistful look at the house. From the corner of his eye, Jack caught the fleeting expression before it was replaced by the porcelain mask staring blankly at the windshield as they drove away.

* * *

_Ding Dong._

Morris opened the door to find Mike and Nadia outside carrying a shopping bag.

"Hello, boss." Morris raised his hand in a mock salute.

"Ready to stop goofing off and get back to the office?" Mike teased. "We all know it's Chloe who does all the work around here." Since the baby was born, Morris had been spending a few days a week telecommuting.

"How are you, Daddy?" Nadia grinned as she leaned forward and gave him a hug.

"Come in, you two." Chloe called from inside.

Morris pulled Mike aside as Nadia went ahead in her excitement to see the new mom and her baby.

"So, is tonight the big night?" Morris inquired, his voice dripping with curiosity.

"Yep." Mike nodded self consciously.

"Nervous?" Morris ventured further, surprised that the man had readily responded without so much as a sarcastic comment.

Mike averted his eyes and silently counted to ten before opening his mouth again. Even though he considered Morris to be a friend now, he still hated having his feelings examined. He forced himself to mouth the words.

"A little."

"You're sure about this, right?" Morris asked, his eyebrows arching inquisitively.

Mike's glare told him he was really pushing it, but Morris didn't back down, cocking his head to one side and giving him a knowing smile.

He smirked as he realized that Morris was really angling for something else.

"By the way, thanks for your help with the rock." Mike offered. The man had referred him to a few wholesale dealers in the Diamond District.

Morris winced at the slang. _Rock? That was no way to call an expensive piece of jewelry._

Nevertheless, he was glad things were working out so well between Mike and Nadia. He beamed and clapped a hand on Mike's shoulder.

"You're welcome, mate."

* * *

Chloe led Nadia to the second bedroom they used as a nursery. Mike and Nadia had helped Morris paint it a light blush pink a month before the baby was born. The room looked so different without the plastic drop cloth on the floor and the cans of paint strewn all over. Now, there was a light maple crib against the wall next to the window.

Nadia approached it slowly, not wanting to wake the baby up. Placing both hands on the railings, she leaned over and peered inside. Chelsea was sleeping on her back, surrounded by her coterie of stuffed animals and looking cute as a bug. The patch of light reddish brown hair, the little slits for eyes, and the beginnings of a snub nose--those were undoubtedly Chloe's. Nadia cooed softly as the little infant stretched and yawned after which her thumb somehow found its way back into her mouth.

Turning to Chloe, Nadia handed her the shopping bag.

"Mike and I got her a little something."

Chloe reached inside and retrieved the tiny layette nestled in pink tissue paper. Holding it up with both hands, she smiled.

"Thanks, this will fit her perfectly." Chloe said as she leaned forward to give Nadia a hug. "So. How are you and Mike doing?"

Nadia shrugged.

"Well, there are good days and bad." Nadia said, trying to downplay how well things were actually going. She didn't want to jinx anything.

Chloe wasn't fooled for a moment; Nadia was positively glowing.

"Oh, come on. You two don't look like you'll be needing couples therapy any time soon." She snorted. "In fact, Mike's mellowed a lot, you know."

Mike was a trooper, holding up the fort at BXJ while Chloe was out on leave and Morris was telecommuting.

"He's taking me to the River Cafe tonight." Nadia confided with a small smile and a sparkle in her eyes, unable to conceal her excitement.

"In Brooklyn, right? Morris and I went there for our anniversary." Chloe said enthusiastically before giving her a small wink. "Really romantic. You know what that means, right?"

"I don't know. It's too soon, don't you think?" Nadia said, not wanting to raise her own hopes.

* * *

Chloe was right. The River Cafe was one of the most romantic restaurants in New York City. Nestled under the Brooklyn Bridge, it had an outdoor patio that overlooked the East River and lower Manhattan.

There were two people celebrating a special occasion that night.

The blond haired man was in a jacket--dinner not flak. The dark haired lady was in black--cocktail dress not pant suit.

There was candlelight and piano music and waiters milling around in tired tuxedos.

There was dinner. A three course meal. Insanely expensive for what it was, but then again people didn't go there for the food.

And yes, there was a ring. A round diamond solitaire in a simple platinum setting.

Then there was a question.

Of course, there was a squeal of joy. Followed by faces reaching across the table for a brush on the lips (they were still in public, after all), chins feeling the heat of the little votive candle beneath them.

After dinner, there was a moonlight stroll on the promenade.

Neither paid any attention to the skyscrapers stippled with lights and pasted on the horizon.

Both ignored the honking of cars on the bridge several hundred feet up and the roar of the subway train that just passed overhead.

Neither seemed to even mind the slight hint of sulfur rising from the East River.

It was just hands cupping faces and mouth latching on to mouth (there was no one else around).

A quick cab ride later and they were home.

* * *

Lying on the bed propped up on the pillows, Mike was reading the latest issue of Shooting Times while waiting for Nadia to finish up her pre-bedtime routine. Judging from when she entered the bathroom, she was probably somewhere between exfoliation and putting on anti-wrinkle cream by now. He was still amazed at how quickly he'd grown familiar and accustomed to her habits.

Finally, she padded into the bedroom, hairbrush in hand. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she tilted her head to one side, letting the curtain of dark lustrous hair fall across one bare shoulder. Slowly, she started to brush it, starting at the tips. She smiled slyly to herself as she heard a shuffle of movement behind her. It wasn't long before a pair of lips landed on the exposed spot behind her ears while a hand took the brush away from hers.

She sighed in resignation knowing inevitably what would follow. Mike was really such an impatient man.

To her surprise, he gently gathered the swath of hair from her shoulder and placed it behind her. His hand applied the brush through it in a series of light strokes, starting at the tips like she always did and working his way upward.

"What are you doing?" She giggled nervously. The last thing she expected was for Mike Doyle to groom her. Not that she was complaining. Even though she projected the image of a confident independent-minded woman, she wasn't averse to a little pampering. Besides, he was surprisingly good at this. Instinctively, he seemed to know just the right amount of pressure to apply--not too light that she didn't feel a thing, but not too heavy that it hurt her scalp.

"I've always wanted to do this." He said softly while combing her hair with longer and longer strokes. He had always found it very soothing to watch her carry out this ritual before she went to sleep. His fingers played with the jet black strands, enjoying the way they separated and spread out on his palm like threads of silk. So luxuriant and full, so deceptively weightless.

Mike had to admit, despite how much he whined about her spending too much time on her hair, it was one of the things he found most physically attractive about her. He loved it best in its natural state. At one point, Nadia had mentioned getting highlights done, but after she explained to him what that meant, her idea was met with a resounding "NO!"

When the hundred or so brush strokes were over, his fingers moved down her back in between her shoulder blades, applying a gentle pressure on her spine with his thumbs. They walked themselves up in a circular motion, one vertebrae at a time until they reached the base of her neck.

"Oh." She closed her eyes and let out a little whimper as he released a stubborn kink that seemed to have lodged itself where her neck met her shoulder. His fingers continued to knead her neck lightly until she felt the tightness around it dissipate. It was still hard for her to believe that those hands had such therapeutic powers, considering that their first physical contact with her consisted of wringing her neck.

By now, they had made their way up her scalp, tapping it lightly like he was playing the piano. He was toying with her, she could tell.

"You _do_ know touching my head makes me sleepy?" she warned him mischievously.

Mike didn't answer. Placing one hand on her shoulder, he slowly turned her around to face him. Nadia kept her eyes closed as he leaned forward and lightly brushed the corner of her lips with his.

She smiled at the sweet gesture and parted her mouth in anticipation of a deeper kiss. It never came. Instead, she could feel his lips just barely skimming hers as it traveled to the other side of her mouth.

Again, another almost kiss.

She turned her head slightly as she tried to catch his mouth with hers. Too late. He had already pulled away. She swallowed back a frustrated moan.

_Ooh, the man's evil. He's taking a page out of my book._

"Sleepy?" Mike murmured innocently.

Brown eyes flew open and stared into a pair of blue grey ones laughing at her. As he gathered her legs up to the bed, Nadia could tell playtime was just beginning.

* * *

Both slept in the following morning. It was past 10 before Nadia even opened her eyes. As expected, the first thing she did was hold her left hand in front of her and gaze at her ring, mesmerized at how each facet of the stone seemed to trap the morning light and bounce it off each other.

She liked how it fit her perfectly. The stone was pure and clear, without any hint of yellow. The size was just right for her petite hands; anything bigger would have seemed ostentatious and out of place. The shank fit snug around her finger, not too tight that it cut off her circulation, but not too loose that she'd have to worry about losing it.

Nadia grinned happily to herself. She had worn it all night while they made love; somehow, it seemed appropriate. She was never taking it off. _All right, except maybe before going to the shower._

Mike was still sleeping soundly beside her, his face nestled peacefully on her pillow. For some reason, regardless of how large their bed was, they always ended up on the same side nudging each other almost to the edge and going after the same pillow. His arm was carelessly thrown around her ribcage like this was its natural resting place.

They had finally settled into a comfortable day to day existence.

Living with him wasn't easy, that was for sure. He was still the same impatient man she'd met many months ago. Although, nowadays, the nature of their "how long" conversations had evolved from "How long does it take to put up a satellite feed?" to an equally exasperated "How long does it take you to dry your hair?". She was resigned to the fights, the bouts of uncommunicative silence, and the mood swings. They weren't going away, but at least they now happened with decreasing frequency.

There were good times too.

Like watching the New York Giants on their 60 inch flat screen while snuggled up in their new lounge chair. After much debate, they finally settled on a vintage Eames chair and ottoman. Its soft leather hugged their bodies like a baseball glove, meeting Mike's only criteria, while its classic mid century modern design pleased her aesthetic sensibilities.

Like doing everyday chores together. She cooked, he cleaned. He did laundry, she folded...

The persistent sound of the doorbell interrupted her daydreaming. Nadia reluctantly dragged herself out of bed and slipped on a robe. Padding to the living room barefoot, she pressed the button on the intercom when she reached the door.

"Who is it?"

"Delivery, ma'am. Can you buzz me in."

She opened the door and was surprised to see a man holding a bouquet of white lilies. Her mouth couldn't help but break into a smile. Mike was really pulling out all the stops this time. _How sweet..._

She signed for the flowers and took the bouquet in one arm.

Mike had just come out of the bedroom, blond hair sticking out in different directions, one hand rubbing an eye while his face broke into a yawn.

"What's that?" He asked sleepily, his mind still not fully functioning.

"Not from you?" she asked, a little surprised. _If not for Mike, who would be sending her flowers?_

Mike shook his head slowly, kicking himself mentally for not thinking of it.

Nadia opened the attached envelope and read the card.

_Dear Nadia. Best Wishes to you and Mike. Love, Mom and Dad._

_p.s. you chose well. Dad._

A look of surprise washed over her face as she held out the note for him to read as well.

"You didn't..." Her voice reflected the disbelief that now settled on her face. "...when you were back in LA this time?"

As far as she knew, Mike had only met her parents once when they hosted a going-away lunch for her many months ago. During that time, he had been rather quiet and reserved, speaking only when he was spoken to.

Mike nodded sheepishly.

"Believe me. It was nerve-racking." He said with a wide grin. "I don't think I've ever been as tense in a combat situation."

He recalled nervously dabbing the sweat on his forehead with his handkerchief before ringing their doorbell. When her father opened the door, he had frozen like a deer in headlights.

"What did they say?" She asked, curious to know exactly what happened.

"At first, they looked at me like I was nuts." He said simply. "Thankfully, they came around in the end."

The conversation was now a blur, but Mike remembered that there was a bit of stuttering and stammering on his part. Nadia's mother probably wondered what her daughter saw in him, an average looking guy who couldn't even complete a sentence without breaking into a sweat. Oh well. Fluid conversations really weren't his forte.

It was only after they realized his intentions with their daughter that things went more smoothly. Mike could tell her father was more than a little flattered by his old-fashioned approach.

"What if I had said no?" She teased as she stepped closer and locked her arms around him.

"That's what they asked me too." He said as he did likewise, clasping both hands behind her.

He wrinkled his nose before a smug look appeared on his face.

"I knew there was no chance in hell of that happening."

Mike yelped as Nadia slapped him soundly on the butt.

"Why did you do it?" Nadia asked in a small voice before she buried her face on his shoulder.

"Because." Mike's voice was serious and quiet as he rocked her from side to side. "I knew it would matter to you."

He could her hear the muffled sound of sniffles and chuckles on his shoulder. Was she crying while she laughed or laughing while she cried? He couldn't really tell.

"Thank you." Nadia said simply before reaching up to kiss his cheek.

Mike looked down at her tearfully happy face and placed his lips on her forehead, hugging her even tighter.

"Anytime, sweetheart. Anytime."

THE END

* * *

**A/N: **

**Re Jack/Kate: 24istheBest, hope you're happy with the ending. I'd like to think that even if they didn't end up together romantically, they'd wind up to be great friends who still cared for each other a lot. **

**Re Doyle/Nadia: Since we're not likely to see them on screen ever again (not a spoiler, just my guess), I wanted to have Doyle do something really nice for Nadia. I hope it wasn't too OOC, but then again Mike acts like a jerk and then makes up for it big time. Talk about service recovery!  
**

**To everyone who read and reviewed:**

**ShadowSakura321, TigerlilyBrown, LauraSedai, Dr Alice, 24istheBest, LadyCelestia17, akemi, PinkJimmyChoos, Maverick500, cybertoothtiger, flood276, Housewoodblues**

**Thank you for bearing with me through all the bouts of writer's block and long periods in between updates. I hope you liked this story and don't mind hitting that review button one last time...**

**p.s. My next project is already in progress - a complete overhaul of A Slow Simmer. Although the storyline will for the most part be the same,**** the contents will be completely new material (in most cases).  
**

**This won't be sending out any alerts since I'll just be replacing the chapters, but I'll be posting which chaps have been updated in my profile. As of of this time, there are already four chapters redone. For those who followed that story, hope you check it out again and let me know what you think. Would love to hear feedback even if you hated it ;)  
**


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